In Tokyo, many well-known Japanese companies have stopped showing their advertisements on Fuji Television. This is after serious claims that some officials tried to hide a sex scandal involving a famous TV host named Masahiro Nakai. Nakai is known for being in a popular boy band called SM and now works as a host on Fuji TV.
The scandal started when a magazine reported that Nakai settled a case for 90 million yen (about $800,000) with a woman who accused him of sexual assault at a dinner party in 2023. Although Nakai admitted to settling, he insisted he did not hurt anyone.
Initially, companies did not quickly pull out their ads. However, after Fuji TV held a press conference that many felt lacked honesty and responsibility, more companies decided to replace their ads with public service announcements. Big companies like Nissan, Toyota, Shiseido, and Seven & I announced they would stop running ads on Fuji TV. Reports say that over 50 companies have taken similar actions.
Nissan said it would keep an eye on the situation before making any more decisions. During the press conference, Fuji TV’s president, Koichi Minato, apologized and admitted they knew about the issue for about six months before the magazine published its report. Minato mentioned that they would look into the matter but also thought his staff had done nothing wrong. Fuji TV also apologized for the trouble caused to businesses but didn’t share many details.
Recently, a magazine mentioned claims from a female announcer at Fuji who said that a top official arranged other parties for Nakai, leading to similar situations. Fuji TV only announced an investigation after pressure from one of its biggest shareholders, Rising Sun Management.
Japan’s entertainment industry is currently facing many sexual assault claims, including serious accusations against the famous talent agency Johnny & Associates, known for managing boy bands including SM. In 2023, the agency admitted that hundreds of boys were abused by its late founder, Johnny Kitagawa.
Leave a Reply