Yomiuri TV’s long-running information program “Miyane-ya” aired its 5,134th and final episode on October 2, 2026. To close out a show that had run for more than 16 years since its debut in late July 2006, actress Erika Sawajiri made a surprise appearance. The program looked back on a 2010 stunt in which a director traveled all the way to Spain to try to interview Sawajiri at the apartment where she was staying — only for her to vanish inside in a mere three seconds. Asked why she’d agreed to come on this time, Sawajiri at one point answered with her old signature line, “Whatever” (betsu ni). Reactions on 5ch were split between those who enjoyed the exchange and those questioning the show’s judgment in featuring someone with a past drug conviction.
Fri, Oct 2, 3:15 PM
“Information Live Miyane-ya,” the Yomiuri TV/NTV afternoon wide show hosted by Seiji Miyane (63) (weekdays, 1:55 PM), aired its final episode today, October 2. Erika Sawajiri made a surprise appearance, looking back on a doorstep interview attempt from 16 years ago.
“Information Live Miyane-ya,” which began on July 31, 2006, reached its 5,134th and final broadcast today, October 2. Sixteen years ago, the show had tried to land an exclusive interview with Erika Sawajiri. In 2010, a director traveled to Spain and tracked down the apartment building where she was staying. He managed “three seconds” of contact with her there, but Sawajiri hurried back inside before the interview could happen.
"You did keep your promise [to come on eventually], but seriously, why did you agree to appear now (lol)?" / "Whatever."
6AnonymousOct 2, 2026 15:32
Re: #2 If she could come back with that line, it'd be a perfect 100 points for variety TV (lol)
3AnonymousOct 2, 2026 15:31
Guess even Her Majesty Erika mellows out once she's an old lady (lol)
5AnonymousOct 2, 2026 15:32
Re: #1 What did she even do again? Can't remember (lol)
8AnonymousOct 2, 2026 15:33
Come to think of it, Erika-sama was basically the female Manabu Oshio (another celebrity busted for drugs) — she's just like 'Sensei Oshio' in every way
64AnonymousOct 2, 2026 16:52
Re: #8 On that same show, Oshio revealed that his gray hair isn't dyed — it turned white naturally after everything he went through — and that he now works as an advisor for a steak house in Shinagawa and runs an advertising company.
He also shared that he started the ad company at the invitation of a junior colleague, but right as the business was taking off, that same colleague ran off with 20 million yen.
These days his hobby is jiu-jitsu, and he reportedly leads a calm, healthy life with his kids.
12AnonymousOct 2, 2026 15:37
Whatever — honestly, the public couldn't care less about her at this point
14AnonymousOct 2, 2026 15:38
The one-hit wonder of 'Whatever' / Pretty low of this show to put a convicted drug criminal on air
16AnonymousOct 2, 2026 15:39
She forced herself to play the bad girl and ended up actually becoming one, wasting the prime years of her career — kind of a hapless, unlucky person.
23AnonymousOct 2, 2026 15:44
Re: #16 Even though she was hooked on drugs since her teens?
18AnonymousOct 2, 2026 15:40
The woman who made 'hyper media creator' a viral phrase (a mocking label pinned on her ex-husband that became a running internet joke)
20AnonymousOct 2, 2026 15:42
A few days ago Hide Nakayama was on announcing an event, and someone in the comments asked 'Isn't Erika Sawajiri going to show up as a guest?' — funny how that joke ended up overlapping with this.
22AnonymousOct 2, 2026 15:44
If this woman hadn't caused all those scandals, Keiko Kitagawa might never have broken out the way she did
75AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:14
Re: #22 Well, Sawajiri's acting is pretty one-note too, but Keiko Kitagawa's barely evolved since her Sailor Mars days (she played Sailor Mars in a live-action Sailor Moon series) — back then I was literally laughing while watching her act.
24AnonymousOct 2, 2026 15:46
You can't keep your looks and popularity forever like you had when you were young. / It's just human nature to get humble once you come back down to earth.
33AnonymousOct 2, 2026 15:55
I don't think Sawajiri's really 'mellowed out' — she just honestly goes with whatever she's feeling in the moment.
38AnonymousOct 2, 2026 16:01
Stuff like this is exactly why nobody watches TV anymore.
39AnonymousOct 2, 2026 16:07
That scandal torpedoed her career. / Let her have another shot at the Taiga historical drama and 'Kakuzuke Check' (the New Year's celebrity luxury-goods guessing show).
41AnonymousOct 2, 2026 16:09
Haruna, who stepped in as Erika's replacement and went on to thrive, is now happily married with kids.
42AnonymousOct 2, 2026 16:09
Wait, didn't this woman get arrested for drugs?
43AnonymousOct 2, 2026 16:10
What was the deal with Miyane anyway? / He just suddenly showed up from out west and kept hosting ever since — as someone from the Kanto region I never really got it, like, how did this guy even become a thing?
46AnonymousOct 2, 2026 16:14
Re: #43 He's from Shimane, went to college in Osaka, then joined Asahi Broadcasting (a quasi-key station based in Osaka), and became popular hosting the morning show 'Ohayo Asahi Desu.'
44AnonymousOct 2, 2026 16:10
She probably did the whole 'Whatever…' thing, right?
45AnonymousOct 2, 2026 16:12
That Hiroshima [Carp] player who got cut over the 'zombie cigarette' scandal should make a comeback in a few years too, like Sawajiri did.
54AnonymousOct 2, 2026 16:27
The 'whatever' and 'hyper whatever' stuff left such a strong impression that I'd honestly forgotten about the drug thing.
55AnonymousOct 2, 2026 16:28
It's like her arrest has been quietly swept under the rug, but Miyane-ya covered it when it happened, right? / That kind of thing is just gross.
58AnonymousOct 2, 2026 16:35
This alone shows what's wrong with Miyane-ya. / The drugs alone were a huge problem, and because of them the Taiga drama 'Kirin ga Kuru' had to reshoot scenes and caused massive trouble — she should basically be banned from terrestrial TV.
59AnonymousOct 2, 2026 16:37
Wasn't she dating a Johnny's [talent agency] idol or something?
60AnonymousOct 2, 2026 16:37
In the timeline where this woman never screwed up, Haruna Kawaguchi probably would've faded away without ever breaking through.
67AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:06
Re: #1 Wait, didn't she get investigated on November 16, 2019 for possessing the synthetic drug MDMA at her home in Meguro, Tokyo, and admit during questioning that she'd been using marijuana, MDMA, LSD, cocaine, and other illegal drugs for over ten years? / Wasn't she then indicted by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office on December 6 that same year for violating the Narcotics Control Law, released on bail that same day, and handed a guilty verdict on February 6, 2020 by the Tokyo District Court — 1 year 6 months in prison, suspended for 3 years? / So… doesn't that make her a former convicted criminal?? / Celebrities who have affairs can't properly appear on TV for like 10 years, but a former criminal gets to?
70AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:08
Re: #67 Yuki Saito's still appearing in dramas too, you know.
Background and Points of Debate
Erika Sawajiri was arrested in 2009 on suspicion of possessing the synthetic drug MDMA and received a guilty verdict (suspended sentence) for violating the Narcotics Control Law. As pointed out within the thread, she was arrested again in November 2019, indicted that December, and sentenced in February 2020 to 1 year and 6 months in prison, suspended for 3 years. At the time, this forced NHK’s Taiga historical drama “Kirin ga Kuru” to reshoot scenes already filmed, sending shockwaves through the industry. What split opinion in the thread was how to judge the TV station’s decision to feature her again given that history. Criticism that “letting bygones be bygones and booking her anyway shows how lax the show is” ran roughly even with more sympathetic takes that “it was sincere of her to come back and personally close out a segment from 16 years ago.” It’s also easy to overlook that the original doorstep interview attempt never actually succeeded — contact lasted only three seconds before she disappeared inside.
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