Masahiro Nakai, former leader of the iconic idol group SMAP, has faced a sexual assault scandal since the beginning of the year, leading to the removal of almost all his professional engagements. This controversy has also implicated Fuji TV, tarnishing both parties' reputations among the Japanese public. Today (March 31), Fuji TV's third-party committee released its investigation report regarding the dispute between Masahiro Nakai and the woman involved.
Concurrently, a press conference was held this evening to present the investigation report. Attendees included Committee Chairman Akira Takeuchi and committee members Yuko Gomi and Toshiaki Yamaguchi, who provided explanations concerning the "presidential suite gathering" involving Masahiro Nakai and others.
According to the investigation report, the third-party committee concluded that "Victim A suffered sexual violence inflicted by Mr. Nakai, constituting a severe human rights violation," and further stated that "the incident occurred within the scope of CX (Fuji TV)'s business operations."
During the Q&A session, a reporter inquired about a drinking party held in December 2021 at an international hotel chain. The event took place in a presidential suite, costing approximately 400,000 JPY per night, and was attended by celebrity Mr. U, Masahiro Nakai, Mr. B, and several female announcers. In response, Committee Chairman Akira Takeuchi stated that the cost was covered by Fuji TV, and the expenses were approved as public funds by a high-ranking official in the program production department.
This revelation of expensing the party to the company drew ridicule from Japanese netizens, who argued that Fuji TV had no grounds to evade responsibility.
Furthermore, the report disclosed that a Fuji TV executive, at Mr. Nakai's request, personally delivered 1 million JPY in cash to the hospitalized victim under the guise of "consolation money," effectively acting as a "courier for hush money." This occurred while Ms. A was recuperating due to poor physical and mental health, and the executive proceeded with the delivery despite being aware of her serious condition, showing a complete disregard for her well-being.
The report further indicated that the payment of this "consolation money" could potentially influence subsequent legal disputes and might even be construed as "hush money," raising concerns of secondary victimization.
According to the report, the committee, through the respective lawyers, requested Mr. Nakai and Ms. A to cooperate with the investigation and sought for both parties to waive the confidentiality clauses of their settlement agreement to ensure the smooth progress of the inquiry.
Ms. A's side responded by agreeing to fully waive her confidentiality obligations to the committee. However, Masahiro Nakai's side refused, stating that they would not cooperate with investigations related to the scope of confidentiality and explicitly replied that they would not release Ms. A from her confidentiality obligations to the committee.
Under these circumstances, the third-party committee negotiated with both parties' lawyers. It was ultimately confirmed that "the fact of woman A entering and leaving Mr. Nakai's apartment room on June 2, 2023" and "the specific contents of the settlement agreement" fell within the scope of confidentiality obligations and would not be included in the investigation. Beyond these points, both parties agreed to cooperate with the committee's hearing investigation. Furthermore, for the parts that could not be disclosed, the committee made its judgment based on testimonies from Fuji TV personnel and relevant documents, explicitly stating in the report: "Woman A suffered sexual violence from Masahiro Nakai," and that this incident constitutes a "major human rights violation."
Despite the press conference, many Japanese citizens remained furious, viewing such incidents as a chronic malpractice at Fuji TV. Years of accumulated flawed perceptions and handling methods have deterred victims from reporting, preventing issues from being resolved and creating a vicious cycle that leads to more similar cases.
With the investigation report now released, further information may still emerge through mediation between the two parties, determining how this incident will ultimately conclude.
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