Top Fuji TV executives in Japan resign over sex scandal

Chairman and president step down to take responsibility for a widening sex assault scandal linked to celebrity host.

Japan’s Fuji Media says its chairman and the head of its TV unit will step down immediately amid a probe into alleged sexual misconduct by a celebrity TV host.

Chairman Shuji Kano and television President Koichi Minato called it quits on Monday, weeks after host Masahiro Nakai was accused of sexual assault, causing a public relations storm and mass exit of advertisers.

The 52-year-old Nakai reportedly later paid the woman 90 million yen ($580,000) and the pair signed a non-disclosure agreement.

While Nakai has worked for many of Japan’s TV networks, the dinner at which the incident occurred was reportedly arranged by one of the broadcaster’s executives.

One of the magazines, Shukan Bunshun, also reported the same executive had in a separate event gathered female TV personalities at a hotel to act as entertainment for Nakai and other celebrities.

Dozens of brands, including McDonald’s and Toyota, pulled their advertisements from the private broadcaster after staff were accused of trying to cover up the scandal.

As pressure mounted, Kano and Minato announced their decision to leave.

“I would like to apologise sincerely to the women concerned for failing to provide adequate care due to a lack of awareness of human rights,” Kano told reporters.

“I apologise to the viewers, advertisers, company members, shareholders… for the great concern and inconvenience caused by the series of news reports,” he added.

Earlier this month, Minato admitted that Fuji TV was aware of the scandal before it was reported by local media.

The company denies claims that its staff were involved in organising Nakai’s meeting with the woman, which allegedly took place at the star’s home.

Nakai, a former member of the boy band SMAP, which swept charts across Asia in the 1990s and 2000s, announced his retirement on Thursday after he was dropped from shows on Fuji TV and other channels.

“I alone am responsible for everything” and “sincerely apologise”, Nakai said. He had previously issued a statement saying some of what had been reported was “different from the facts”.

Fuji Television boasted Japan’s highest viewer ratings in the 1980s and early 1990s, with its soap operas and popular comedy and variety shows.

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 Palme d’Or at Cannes.

The Nakai scandal follows another huge reckoning in the industry, involving now-defunct boy band empire Johnny & Associates, to which SMAP belonged.

Johnny & Associates, which has now changed its name, admitted in 2023 that its late founder Johnny Kitagawa had sexually assaulted teenage boys and young men for decades.

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Al Jazeera and news agencies