Japan singer ASKA arrested for drug possession

TOKYO: Japanese pop star ASKA was arrested on Saturday for possessing illegal stimulant drugs in his apartment in Tokyo, reports said.

Investigators were probing how ASKA -- who is part of the popular music duo CHAGE and ASKA -- obtained the "small dose" of drugs and whether he had used them, NHK and Tokyo Broadcasting System Television said.

ASKA, 56, whose real name is Shigeaki Miyazaki, reportedly denied the charges. Before his arrest, he also rejected news reports that he was a drug addict.

Authorities were not immediately available to confirm his arrest.

CHAGE and ASKA made their musical debut in 1979 and remain hugely popular in Japan and other Asian countries where the duo have toured such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan.