Fuji Media, rocked by sexual misconduct allegations, executives to resign, Reuters says
by Rocky Swift
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s Fuji Media said on Monday that its chairman and head of its television unit would step down amid an investigation into alleged sexual misconduct by a popular TV host.
The scandal, which led to the eviction of promoters and a management shakeup by investors, raised concerns about the exploitation of women in Japan’s entertainment industry.
In December, Japanese magazines accused Masahiro Nakai of sexually assaulting TV host and former leader of boy group SMAP. While Nakai works for several Japanese television networks, the show was reportedly produced by one of the broadcasters.
Shukan Bunshun, one of the magazines, reported that the same executive in a separate event gathered female television professionals at a hotel and entertained Nakai and other celebrities.
Nakai, 52, apologized on his fan website for the “trouble” he had caused and announced his retirement. He admitted to a settlement with another party but did not address the allegations directly. Nakai did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Fuji Media said Chairman Shuji Kanoh and TV unit head Koichi Minato will step down as of Monday, and another TV executive, Kenji Shimizu, will take over as president of the TV unit.
According to tabloid magazines Josey Seven and Shukan Bunshun, in June 2023, a female Nakai was invited to dinner with a Fuji TV executive. But the executive left her alone with Nakai at the last minute and they reported that the sexual act took place against her will.
“First of all, I would like to sincerely apologize to the woman for whom we failed to show enough care and understanding of human rights as human beings,” Kanoh said in a press release.
A Fuji Media spokesman said the company was aware of the woman’s complaint in June, but did not investigate or report it further due to privacy concerns and settlement talks between the parties.
After Minato’s news conference on January 17, when he answered a few questions for Minato, he added to the scandal, which had been covered up by most newspapers.
Including dozens of big name companies Toyota (NYSE: ) and cosmetics giant Kao has stopped advertising with Fuji and most of its ads are now public service announcements.
It remains to be seen whether the resignation and Fuji Media’s commitment to an independent investigation by a third-party committee will be enough to quell calls for management and governance reforms by activist investors.
The committee is composed of three legal experts and is scheduled to submit its investigation report by the end of March.
Activist investors who have criticized Fuji Media’s handling of the crisis include US-based Dalton Investments, the second-ranked shareholder at 5.8% based on LSEG data, and Zennor Asset Management, a UK-based fund with more than 1%.
Fuji Media shares rallied after falling in late December and early January, buoyed in part by hopes for a major corporate shakeup, and are now trading 13% higher after news of the scandal broke.
The rise of sexual assault and coercion scandals in Japan in recent years is reminiscent of the #MeToo movement that began in the United States in late 2017.
In the year In 2023, Japan’s top talent agency Johnny & Associates announced it was disbanding after a BBC documentary exposed how founder Johnny Kitagawa had been abusing boy band members for decades.
Among Kitagawa’s greatest inventions was SMAP, which launched Nakai and his friends to stardom in 1988.
Last week, the Japanese documentary “Black Box Diaries” was nominated for an Academy Award for its portrayal of a woman’s search for justice for the rape of a prominent journalist.