 "Japan's Fuji TV loses sponsors amid sex scandal involving star host")
More than 50 major Japanese companies, including household names like Nissan, Toyota, and Shiseido, have withdrawn their advertisements from Fuji Television over allegations that the network tried to cover up a sexual assault scandal involving one of its biggest star host.
Masahiro Nakai, a former member of the hugely popular boy band SM, is now a prominent TV host. Local media have linked him to an alleged sexual assault at a party reportedly arranged by a Fuji TV staff member.
In December, the weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun reported a 90 million yen settlement between Nakai and a woman over the alleged incident at a 2023 dinner party. While Nakai admitted to settling a “trouble,” he denied any violence.
Initially, the scandal didn’t cause an immediate exodus of advertisers. However, a press conference by Fuji TV last week drew heavy criticism, with many accusing the network of lacking transparency and genuine remorse. In response, advertisers began pulling their commercials, replacing them with public service announcements.
Big-name sponsors, including Nissan, Toyota, cosmetics giant Shiseido, retailer Seven & I Holdings, and life insurer Meiji Yasuda, were among those cutting ties.
“We have pulled our ads and are closely monitoring the situation before taking further steps,” Nissan said on Tuesday.
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At the press conference, Fuji TV President Koichi Minato admitted the network knew about the allegations at least six months before the Shukan Bunshun report but failed to act. Minato apologised and announced an internal investigation but defended his employees, saying they “had not done anything wrong.”
The network also issued an apology for the disruption caused to advertisers but declined to share specific details about the case.
Adding fuel to the controversy, the latest edition of Shukan Bunshun quoted an anonymous female Fuji announcer who claimed a senior network official had arranged other similar parties for Nakai.
Pressure on Fuji TV escalated after Rising Sun Management, one of its largest shareholders and an affiliate of US-based Dalton Investments, demanded a full investigation and swift action.
The Fuji TV scandal is unfolding against the backdrop of significant upheaval in Japan’s entertainment industry. In 2023, Johnny & Associates, the now-defunct management agency behind SM and other boy bands, publicly acknowledged decades of sexual abuse committed by its late founder, Johnny Kitagawa. The admission has led to hundreds of victims stepping forward, drawing attention to longstanding issues of abuse within the industry.
(With inputs from Associated Press)