Fuji Media Committee Recognizes Sexual Assault by Nakai

Jiji Press

17:34 JST, March 31, 2025

Tokyo (Jiji Press)—A third-party committee set up by Fuji Media Holdings Inc., the parent of scandal-embattled Fuji Television Network Inc., said Monday that former TV star Masahiro Nakai was involved in a sexual assault against a woman.

In a report released on the day, the committee also said that the sexual violence is considered to have happened as “an extension” of Fuji TV’s business operations.

The committee described the handling of the sex scandal by the broadcaster’s management, including then President Koichi Minato, as extremely sloppy. It also said that all members of the company’s board of directors are considered responsible.

Set up on Jan. 23, the committee, made up of three outside lawyers, was tasked to look into the scandal and compile proposals to prevent a similar incident from happening again.

Some Fuji TV officials were informed of the sexual problem between Nakai and the woman shortly after the incident took place in June 2023. But the company kept featuring Nakai in some programs, with information on the scandal not shared with its compliance department.

The scandal came to light as a weekly magazine reported the incident at the end of last year.

Although the broadcaster held a press conference Jan. 17 this year, access to the event was limited to some media personnel and video recording was not allowed. This sparked fierce criticism, leading many companies to withdraw their advertisements from Fuji TV programs.

Fuji Television and Fuji Media held another press conference Jan. 27 and announced that Minato and then Fuji Television Chairman Shuji Kano would resign from their posts to take responsibility for the scandal.

On Thursday, the two companies announced a management revamp, which included the resignation of group heavyweight Hisashi Hieda as the two companies’ executive managing adviser.