The chairman and president of Japan's Fuji Television resigned Monday (Jan 27), weeks after a celebrity presenter was accused of sexual assault, causing a public relations storm and the mass exit of advertisers.
A leading tabloid magazine reported last month that Masahiro Nakai, a J-pop megastar turned TV host, had performed a sexual act without a woman's consent in 2023.
The 52-year-old Nakai reportedly later paid the woman 90 million yen (RM2.5mil) and the pair signed a non-disclosure agreement.
After network staff were accused of trying to cover up the scandal, dozens of brands, including McDonald's and Toyota, pulled their advertisements from the private broadcaster.
As pressure mounted, Fuji TV said its president Koichi Minato and chairman Shuji Kanoh were stepping down.
"I would like to apologise sincerely to the women concerned for failing to provide adequate care due to a lack of awareness of human rights," Kanoh told reporters on Monday.
"I apologise to the viewers, advertisers, company members, shareholders... for the great concern and inconvenience caused by the series of news reports," he added.
Earlier this month, Minato admitted that Fuji TV was aware of the Nakai scandal before it was reported by local media.
The company denies claims that its staff were involved in organising Nakai's meeting with the woman, which allegedly took place at the star's home.
Nakai – a former member of the boy band SMAP, which swept charts across Asia in the 1990s and 2000s – announced his retirement on Thursday after he was dropped from shows on Fuji TV and other channels.
"I alone am responsible for everything" and "sincerely apologise", he said.
He had previously issued a statement saying some of what had been reported was "different from the facts".
Japan has never seen a #MeToo outpouring on the scale of the United States or other countries, with many victims fearing a public backlash in a society where men still hold most positions of power.
But the Nakai scandal is the latest in a series of reckonings for the media and entertainment industries.
One involves now-defunct boy band empire Johnny & Associates, to which SMAP belonged.
Johnny & Associates, which has since changed its name, admitted in 2023 that its late founder Johnny Kitagawa had sexually assaulted teenage boys and young men for decades.
One of Japan's most popular comedians, 61-year-old Hitoshi Matsumoto, has also been accused of sexual assault by two women.
While the tabloid reports about Nakai unleashed a coverage frenzy, most Japanese media have taken a cautious approach, referring to the allegations as sexual "trouble" or misconduct.
Some media have reported an endemic culture within Japan's entertainment industry of wining and dining the top presenters, with women staffers invited to join such parties.
Fuji network president Minato held a short press conference on Jan 17, after US activist investor Rising Sun Management said it was "outraged" by the lack of transparency.
But the public relations attempt backfired after only select media were invited, video was not allowed and Minato declined to answer many questions, citing a fresh investigation.
On Monday, Minato addressed the criticism.
"We are acutely aware that we have undermined the credibility of the media," he said.
He also revealed that he was "the subject of an investigation by a third-party committee".
"I will cooperate fully to uncover the truth and prevent similar problems from happening, and to reform the corporate culture," he said.
Fuji Television boasted Japan's highest viewer ratings in the 1980s and early 1990s with its soap operas and popular comedy and variety shows.
It aired the first domestically produced animation Astro Boy in 1963, and has also produced films including Hirokazu Kore-eda's Shoplifters which won the 2018 Palme d'Or at Cannes. – AFP
