Masahiro Nakai sex scandal puts Japan’s entertainment industry in crosshairs


Masahiro Nakai (left) poses with his fellow members of popular Japanese boy band SMAP in 2015. He now faces criticism for sexually abusing a woman and his management’s subsequent attempts to cover it up. - Photo: AFP

TOKYO: Japan’s Fuji Television Network has hired external lawyers to investigate a snowballing sex scandal surrounding pop star-turned-TV celebrity Masahiro Nakai, a case observers say reflects the failure of the country’s entertainment industry to learn from music mogul Johnny Kitagawa’s decades of sexual abuse.

Nakai, his management agency and the broadcaster have displayed “arrogance” in the way they dismissed the issue, one analyst said, noting that it took foreign influence to bring the scandal to light.

“They tried very hard to keep this quiet, but they failed and all the reports that are emerging now are showing the Japanese public just how lax the governance is within the entertainment business and the way they are able to close ranks to protect those in power and who earn the TV companies so much money,” said Makoto Watanabe, a professor of communications and media at Hokkaido Bunkyo University in Eniwa, Hokkaido.

The woman who was allegedly assaulted by Nakai “has been sacrificed” so the industry could carry on as normal, Watanabe said, adding that “what we are learning is just the tip of what really goes on behind the scenes.”

“And then – and I find this unbelievable – Nakai released a statement saying that the issue with the woman had been ‘solved,’ that he had therefore done nothing wrong and that he would continue to work in the business,” Watanabe told This Week in Asia.

“That arrogance has triggered the Japanese public,” Watanabe said, adding that Nakai had effectively committed “professional suicide” with his statement. “People just do not want to see him any more.”

Masahiro, a former member of the SMAP boy band who is now a popular TV host at the network, has been linked by local media reports to allegations of sexual assault at a party which it is alleged was arranged by a member of staff at Fuji TV.

The issue has had a negative effects on the television company's share price and led to one of its largest shareholders to write a letter expressing concerns over its corporate governance.

Fuji TV President Koichi Minato on Friday apologised for "causing tremendous trouble and concern due to the (media) reports” and said an external panel would investigate the actions of company officials, including himself.

The scandal stems from reports that began in December by the Shukan Bunshun weekly magazine that Nakai had reached a 90 million yen (US$580,000) settlement with a woman in connection with alleged sexual misconduct at a dinner party last year.

Nakai acknowledged in a Jan. 9 statement on his official website that he had reached a settlement with a woman over "a trouble.” He denied using any violence or anyone else's involvement, saying he sincerely responded to the woman’s requests in the settlement.

"This trouble is entirely because of my shortcomings,” Nakai said in the statement.

The announcement of a formal inquiry comes after Rising Sun Management, which is an affiliate of US investment management firm Dalton Investments -- which partially owns Fuji TV - criticized the network’s lack of transparency and demanded an investigation by a third party.

"The uproar created by Masahiro Nakai ... reflects not only a problem in the entertainment industry generally, but, specifically, it exposes serious flaws in your corporate governance,” Rising Sun said in an open letter to the board of Fuji dated Jan 14.

"The lack of consistency and, importantly, transparency in both reporting the facts and the subsequent unforgivable shortcomings in your response merit serious condemnation that serves not only to undermine viewer trust, but also leads directly to erode shareholder value. As one of your largest shareholders, controlling over 7% percent of the company’s stock, we are outraged!”

Nakai was a leader of SMAP, a five-member singing and dancing male band, which debuted in 1988 and quickly surged to stardom in Japan and across Asia until it was disbanded in 2016.

Major Japanese TV networks have suspended programmes hosted by him or edited him out of footage following the allegations.

Nippon Television Network Corp. said Nakai was to step down as host of a variety programme following a thorough review of the situation.

The scandal comes after now-defunct talent agency Johnny & Associates, which managed SMAP and many other groups, admitted in 2023 to sexual abuse against hundreds of teenage boys and young men by its late founder and entertainment mogul Johnny Kitagawa.

"A press conference that’s open to only some journalists doesn’t leave a good impression,” said Kenzaburou Yamada, an analyst at Tokai Tokyo Intelligence who covers broadcaster stocks. "This could be seen as a disrespectful attitude toward its shareholders,” he added.

Shares of Fuji Media Holdings have tumbled 10% since the scandal was reported in late December. That compares with a 5.5% decline in rival TV Tokyo Holdings Corp. and a fall of 7.9% for Nippon Television Holdings Inc. One of Japan’s most prominent TV hosts, Nakai made regular appearances across a broad range of channels.

"There are concerns over the impact on advertising revenues as corporates may become reluctant to advertise on TV, given the reputational risk,” said Yamada.

The fall in shares underscores Fuji TV’s failure to tackle governance issues after Japanese media apologized for turning a blind eye to decades of sexual abuse of teen boys by the late Jonny Kitagawa, founder of an influential J-Pop talent agency. Nakai was formerly a member of SMAP, one of the most popular boy bands managed by the agency.

Nakai has again apologised on his website, acknowledging a "problem” and adding he had reached a settlement with the alleged victim that prevents him from discussing the matter. He said no violence was involved.

Fuji Media shares rose on Friday after the Nikkei reported James Rosenwald, the co-founder of Dalton Investments, plans to submit a proposal to the broadcaster’s annual shareholder meeting if the company fails to address governance concerns. Rising Sun Management said it represented the owners of 7% of Fuji Media Holdings.

The stock should bounce back if governance concerns are cleared up, given the recovery in the broadcasting business as well as solid revenues from streaming services and its real estate business, Tokai Tokyo’s Yamada said. - Agencies

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