NHK


 

Japanese actor Hirosue Ryoko has been arrested on suspicion of injuring a nurse at a hospital.

Police say she was arrested in Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, early on Tuesday for allegedly kicking and scratching a female nurse.
They have not said whether Hirosue has admitted to the charge.

Police say the suspect rear-ended a large trailer while driving a passenger car on the Shin-Tomei Expressway in Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Monday. She was injured and taken to the hospital.

A man claiming to be Hirosue's manager was also reportedly in her vehicle.
The Shimada General Medical Center, where Hirosue was taken, told reporters that three nurses attended to the patient when she arrived, and that it believes hospital staff behaved appropriately.

Hirosue's agency, which she heads, posted an apology on its website on Tuesday confirming her arrest.

The statement says a vehicle driven by Hirosue caused a traffic accident in Shizuoka Prefecture. It says Hirosue temporarily went into a panic at the hospital and injured a medical staff member.

The office says it apologizes deeply to the victim, all others affected and Hirosue's fans for causing great inconvenience and concern.
It says Hirosue will refrain from all entertainment activities for the time being.

Hirosue Ryoko was born in 1980. She joined the entertainment industry in 1994 and rose to fame after appearing in a TV commercial for a telecom firm.

As a singer, she released hit songs and appeared on NHK's annual year-end music program.

Hirosue played lead roles in numerous Japanese television dramas, including "Beach Boys" and "Summer Snow."

She appeared in the Japanese film "Poppoya" directed by Furuhata Yasuo and co-starred in the French film "Wasabi" produced by Luc Besson.

Hirosue also played the protagonist's wife in the 2008 Japanese work "Departures," which won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.