Japan’s Fuji TV: Top executives resign after Masahiro Nakai sex scandal

In response to a sexual misconduct claim made against a well-known TV host, the chairman and president of one of Japan’s biggest network, Fuji TV, resigned.

The system, which was criticized for trying to cover up the controversy, has since removed thousands of company advertisements.

Masahiro Nakai was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a 2023 dinner party allegedly organised by Fuji TV staff. He announced his retirement from show business last week.

Fuji TV needs to regain the trust of viewers and sponsors, according to the Chinese government.

Shuji Kano, leader of Fuji TV, and Koichi Minato, both gave a press conference on Monday to make their resignations known. It arrived soon after a board meeting of disaster.

They thanked viewers and stakeholders for the problem and worry caused by a controversy that has shaken Japan’s entertainment sector.

” I feel deeply the fat of my duty for undermining confidence in the media,” said Mr. Minato. ” Looking back, I realise there were deficiencies in our answer”.

Mr. Minato had earlier acknowledged that the business was aware of the allegations against Nakai immediately after the alleged incident occurred. However, Fuji Television made the decision to not reveal it at the moment because he had argued that it prioritized the woman’s physical and mental healing as well as the safety of her privacy.

Nakai reportedly paid the unnamed woman more than$ 500,000 last month. Therefore more allegations surfaced that a Fuji TV staff had assisted in the dinner party’s planning.

Nakai, a well-known face and former participant of the child group SMAP, has denied using violence against the person. He has also said that he had “resolved” the problem with her through a lawsuit.

However, this failed to suppress open resentment.

Nissan and Toyota, two automakers, were among those that canceled Fuji TV’s marketing.

The incident “exposes major flaws in your business governance,” according to investment firm Rising Sun Management, the majority shareholder in the parent company of Fuji TV.

Since then, Fuji Television has established an impartial panel to look into the incident.

Executive vice president Kenji Shimizu, who did succeed Mr. Minato as president, stated that he would “never bear deeds that violate human rights” and would work with Mr. Minato to start from scratch in order to stop similar situations.

The community suspended a regular show hosted by Nakai earlier this month, and other major systems have even dropped the reporter.

Following rumors that similar dinner events involving stars are a popular practice in the industry, other TV networks have made their own investigations public.