Masahiro Nakai: Is the downfall of a Japanese star a turning point for women’s rights?

One of Japan’s biggest presenters has been in danger for decades due to a controversy that has ruined one of its most well-known celebrities.

Some people think it also represents a turning point in how sexual assault cases are handled in Japan, where survivors have traditionally been made to apologize.

At its heart was Masahiro Nakai, a family name and leading reporter for Fuji Television, one of the region’s biggest presenters.

Nakai, who is also a former member of the J-Pop boy group SMAP, was charged with sexual assaulting a girl at a dinner party in 2023.

The revelations, which first appeared in the regular tabloid publication Shukan Bunshun in December, were the most recent in a line of scandals involving famous Japanese figures, including that involving soon entertainment mogul Johnny Kitagawa, who was discovered by investigators to had abused hundreds of boys and young men for more than 60 years.

While Nakai didn’t say grief, he apologised for” causing problem” in a speech and said that he had “resolved” the problem with the person in a negotiation, reportedly worth more than half a million dollars.

Nakai, who has also denied using force against the person, was even forced to make an announcement about his retirement from the entertainment business in January as people arose. The Tokyo Broadcasting System, another stream, has even discontinued Nakai’s regular MC appearance on the program.

The effects on Fuji Television has been devastating.

The broadcaster’s reputation is now in wreckage, its income threatened and some of its top executives have been forced to resign.

As people outcry increased, prominent automakers like Nissan and Toyota were among the broadcaster’s clients. Fuji Television has since acknowledged that it still permitted Nakai to remain airing programs despite learning about the allegations.

” If this had happened 10 years back, there would not have been this outcry”, Keiko Kojima who worked in Japan’s internet business for 15 years as a TV broadcaster, told the BBC.

Physical violence against women is one of Japan’s worst kept techniques. A 2020 study claimed that more than 70 % of physical attack in the country go undetected. And according to a 2024 research published in the International Journal of Asian Studies, for every 1, 000 murders in Japan, just 10–20 result in a legal faith – and fewer than half of convicted criminals are incarcerated.

” There’s also a common approach of’ Shoganai’ or ‘ there’s nothing you can would’ that is being projected on women- so they’re encouraged to stay silent”, Machiko Osawa, professor emeritus at Japan Women’s University in Tokyo, told the BBC.

She added that because people were so rare and lacked proper reporting tools, they were reluctant to share their experiences, which contributed to this society of solitude.

Ms. Kojima noted that young women in particular have long felt they may remain passive in order to keep their jobs because of the advertising industry’s culture of violence and lack of accountability.

” It was common for men to make crude remarks about women’s systems, look, or ages. She said,” I recall being asked how many people we’ve had sexual with, along with my coworkers and I.”

We were expected to respond with humor without offending or enraged. On a daily basis, I witnessed sexual harassment and other kinds of insulting treatment of women. For a female, adapting to these conditions was the only way to become a full-fledged Television or press professional”.

In light of the Fuji TV situation, was it popular to have dinner and drinking parties with famous people and young women?

Ms Kojima told the BBC that it was indeed popular to use people as” tools for entertaining,” despite Shukan Bunshun retracting an earlier statement that claimed the alleged rape took place at a party organized by Fuji TV.

” In Chinese working society, it’s an everyday exercise to half-forcibly take young girl employees to activities to entertain customers”.

People are delighted when young ladies meet them, they say. The notion that bringing a young person with you is a way of offering generosity to the other people is very prevalent and that women are like gifts are like a product.

That is why the consequences of this incident has encouraged women’s rights activists.

One of the members of the Flower Demo motion, where groups of sexual assault sufferers and their supporters gather in open spaces on the eleventh of every month, Minori Kithara, acknowledged she was surprised at how quickly and seriously the sponsors reacted.

” Even if it’s more of self-preservation than individual rights for partners, this is a turning point for the MeToo activity in Japan. It’s off to us how great we make it”, she told the BBC.

Almost 50 firms have walked away from the now tarnished journalist.

Additionally, the state has canceled all of its upcoming and planned community advertisements.

Fuji TV needs to win back viewers ‘ and sponsors ‘ trust, according to the Japanese government. Thus far it seems to have done none.

The incident and the broadcaster’s part in hiding it led to a crisis-management saga that appeared to have pushed the business further into disgrace and fueled more public outcry.

Therefore, Koichi Minato, president of Fuji TV, acknowledged that the business was aware of the rumor just after the alleged incident.

He claimed, however, that they had chosen to ignore it at the moment because they had prioritized the person’s physical and mental healing as well as the protection of her privacy.

The corporation held a second press conference that lasted 10 days and was intended to show regret after the initial outcry that was later turned into a PR disaster.

Shuji Kano, leader of Fuji TV, and Koichi Minato, leader, bowing respectfully as they announced their defections.

It was made known that Mr. Minato may be replaced by Kenji Shimizu as agency’s executive vice president.

However, given that the mayor’s substitute had the same leadership cadre, these were seen as simple face- and revenue-saving exercises rather than significant changes.

But, Professor Osawa claimed for the BBC that prominent situations like Fuji TV serve as important norms for the reshaping of these patterns.

The latest in a line of well-known sexual misconduct instances that have sparked discussion on children’s rights in Japan is the story.

These include the case of journalist Shiori Ito, who became a symbol of the country’s #MeToo movement when in 2017 she took the rare step of going public with allegations that Noriyuki Yamaguchi, a senior television journalist, had raped her after she met him for drinks. While he denied the allegations, in 2019 she won her civil lawsuit against him.

” People have now come to terms with the fact that it’s acceptable to speak out and complain about this ( sexual harassment ). We are changing what we take as the norm”, Ms Kojima said.

Ms Kojima and Ms Kithara both say nevertheless, that Japan is not moving quickly enough.

” I think it’s time for that generation ( of media leadership ) to step down. A new business lifestyle must be established in the sector. The shift is slow”. Ms Kojima said.

The Screen industry has long ignored the issue of exploitation and violence and failed to properly deal with the patients. If the root of the problem doesn’t change, the same will happen once”.

Professor Osawa acknowledges that Japan also has a long way to go even though the pace of change is rapid. primarily as a result of the region’s male-dominated society’s widespread energy imbalance.

She adds that while women have been part of the workforce for decades they’re still seen as the” caretakers” and men as the “breadwinners” by a society that is still heavily shaped by patriarchal values.

” This is an essential day… But it’s vague how much attitudes may change”. she said.

While Ms Kitahara is cheerful, she says she’s nevertheless furious:” The sexual assault not stops”.

Every month, I still meet new survivors at Flower Demo ( protests ) and find out what happened to them. Another time, we had a high school girl. When we started the movement ( In 2019 ) she was probably in Junior High”, she said.

” I hope I’ll always have to go on a Flower Demo opposition again,” said one participant.