Images: Fuji TV, Kenji Shimizu
Fuji TV continues to be in hot water after a scandal came to light in December.
As reported by NHK World Japan, several key figures of Fuji TV have announced their resignation on Monday, 27 January, in response to growing pressure amidst a massive scandal revolving around one of its TV personalities: former SMAP boy band member Masahiro Nakai.
The announcement came from an official press conference held by Fuji TV, where its president, Koichi Minato, and chairman, Shuji Kanoh, formerly gave out their resignation. The decision came after the company held an emergency board meeting earlier that day, after discussions of whether or not the two were still capable of leading the company.
Kenji Shimizu, who is known for his producer roles on iconic anime titles like Dragon Ball Z, Yu Yu Hakusho, Osomatsu-kun, and Dr. Slump, among other titles, was announced to be taking on the role of president for Fuji TV.
The scandal plaguing the broadcast channel came to light in December 2024, when Japanese weekly magazines reported on allegations that Masahiro Nakai, who rose to fame as part of the now disbanded boy band SMAP, was revealed to have had nonconsensual sexual relations wit an undisclosed woman in June 2023. The crime allegedly occurred during a party organised by Fuji TV. Further reports implicated that a Fuji TV employee also played a role during the crime, allegedly setting up the meal where Nakai met the woman and the incident occurred. Furthermore, company executives, including Minato, were aware of the crime but continued to work and broadcast programs with Nakai.
Fuji TV maintained its stance during the press conference that no employees were involved.
The shocking crime led to a number of companies pulling advertisements from Fuji TV, including vehicle makers Nissan and Toyota, as well as retail company Seven&I holdings, which is known for its 7-eleven convenience store chain.
Nakai retired from broadcast television earlier in the year, all the while denying using violence against women. Nakai revealed that he had settled with the victim to ‘resolve’ the matter, although it didn’t do much to quell public anger and backlash.
The settlement, which was reported on by the Weekly Bunshun magazine, occurred in December 2024 out of court, and amounted to 90 million yen, or around $557,000 when converted.
In an official statement during the press conference, Minato said: “This case may involve a possible human rights violation. Looking back, we deeply regret that we failed to thoroughly examine issues believed to be behind this case, such as the nature of the dinner parties and gatherings with celebrities and related individuals.”