Japan: The chairman and president of Japan’s Fuji Television resigned Monday, days after a brand reporter was accused of sexual assault, causing a public relations wind and the mass return of advertisers.
Masahiro Nakai, a J-pop superstar turned TV number, had engaged in sexual activity in 2023 without the woman’s consent, according to a leading news magazine next month.
The 52-year-old Nakai reportedly later paid the woman a lump sum of 90 million yen ($ 570, 000 ) and the pair signed a non-disclosure agreement.
Lots of manufacturers, including McDonald’s and Toyota, pulled their ads from the personal journalist after workers were accused of trying to cover up the incident.
Fuji TV announced that chair Shuji Kanoh and president Koichi Minato were leaving as pressure mounted.
According to Kanoh,” I would like to sincerely apologize to the women involved for failing to provide enough care due to a lack of awareness of mortal rights.”
” I apologise to the people, publishers, company people, shareholders… for the great problem and pain caused by the collection of information reports”, he added.
Minato earlier this month acknowledged that Fuji Television was conscious of the incident before the local media reported it.
The organization refutes claims that its employees were involved in Nakai’s meet with the person, which is said to have taken place at the actor’s residence.
Nakai, a past part of the boy band SMAP, who dominated Asian figures in the 1990s and 2000s, made the announcement on Thursday that he would no longer play on Fuji Television or other programs.
” I alone am responsible for all” and” sincerely apologise”, Nakai said.
He had recently stated in a statement that some of the information was “different from the details.”
” Uncover the truth,”
The Nakai incident follows another great judgment in the industry, involving now-defunct child group kingdom Johnny &, Associates, to which SMAP belonged.
Johnny &, Associates, which has now changed its name, admitted in 2023 that its late chairman Johnny Kitagawa had sexually assaulted young boys and young men for years.
While the news reports about Nakai unleashed a policy fury, most Chinese media has taken a cautious view to the reporting, referring to the allegations as physical” trouble” or misconduct.
Some media outlets have covered an endemic culture that involves inviting women staffers to visit for parties in Japan’s entertainment sector, including winning and dining the top presenters.
Following US activist investment Rising Sun Management’s statement that it was “outraged” by the lack of accountability, Fuji community leader Minato held a brief press conference on January 17.
However, the public relations effort failed because only a select few journalists were invited, film was forbidden, and Minato declined to respond to numerous questions, citing a new investigation.
On Monday, Minato addressed the condemnation.
He claimed,” We are keenly aware that we have severely damaged the legitimacy of the media.”
He also revealed that he was” the subject of an investigation by a third-party commission”.
” I will engage entirely to uncover the truth and avoid similar problems from happening, and to restructuring the business society”, he said.
With its soap operas and well-known comedy and variety shows, Fuji Television had one of the highest viewerships in Japan in the 1980s and early 1990s.
It aired the first domestically produced animation” Astro Boy” in 1963, and has also produced films including Hirokazu Kore-eda’s” Shoplifters” which won the 2018 Palmed’Or at Cannes.
