National News

Disgraced actress Noriko Sakai, who was handed a suspended prison sentence Monday at the Tokyo District Court over drug use and possession, is set to study at a university in Gunma Prefecture, it's been learned.

Sakai, 38, whose real family name is Takaso, passed the entrance exam for the University of Creation; Art, Music & Social Work in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, university officials said.

According to the university's official Web site, the school has two departments -- its Social Work Department, which offers programs for obtaining professional qualifications including social work, and its Creative Arts Department, where students can qualify as music therapists. The university says it holds entrance exams several times a year, but hasn't revealed which department Sakai will join.

On Monday, Sakai was handed an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for three years, for violating the Stimulants Control Law. She vowed at the first hearing of her trial that she would stop using stimulants and study welfare and nursing care.