Companies

Japan’s Fuji TV Decides to Set Up 3rd-Party Panel to Look into Masahiro Nakai Case

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Fuji Television Network

The Yomiuri Shimbun

18:33 JST, January 23, 2025

Fuji Media Holdings Inc. and Fuji Television Network Inc. decided Thursday to establish a third-party committee based on the guidelines of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations to investigate the facts regarding a scandal involving television personality Masahiro Nakai, who announced his retirement from the entertainment business earlier on the day.

The decision was made at separate extraordinary meetings of the boards of directors of the two companies. Fuji Media Holdings is the parent company of Fuji TV.

Fuji TV announced at a press conference last Friday it would establish an investigation committee led by a third-party lawyer, but there were growing calls for the establishment of a third-party committee with greater independence. The committee will be comprised of three members and submit a report around the end of March. Fuji TV will hold a press conference next Monday.

According to weekly magazine reports, there was an incident in June 2023 wherein a woman was subjected to unwanted behavior after a dinner meeting at Nakai’s home. Later, a settlement was reached in which Nakai would pay a large sum of money to settle the matter. In response to those reports, Nakai released an “apology” on Jan. 9 admitting there had been trouble.

It had also been reported that an executive of the company was involved in organizing the dinner party, but the company denied this. Koichi Minato, president of the company, did not disclose at Friday’s press conference whether the woman had been a Fuji TV employee. Minato indicated that an investigative committee led by a third-party lawyer would be formed to look into the matter, but he declined to provide factual details on the case.

Advertisements were suspended on the network after the press conference.

The company’s news program “Live News it!” reported on Tuesday that the number of companies that had suspended commercials on Fuji TV had risen to 75 as of Monday. The number of advertisements replaced by public announcements from the Advertising Council Japan, a public interest incorporated association, was said to be more than 350.

U.S. investment fund Dalton Investments, a shareholder of Fuji Media Holdings, sent letters dated Jan. 14 and Tuesday through its affiliate to Fuji Media Holdings demanding the establishment of a third-party committee of outside experts to examine and clarify the facts in the Nakai case.

On Thursday, Nakai, 52, posted the announcement of his retirement on his own paid membership website.

Shares in Fuji Media Holdings temporarily fell more than 10% on Thursday, following media reports of Nakai’s retirement.