A third-party investigation panel has concluded that Japanese celebrity Nakai Masahiro sexually assaulted a female employee of Fuji Television Network in 2023. The panel’s findings, based on confidential hearings with Nakai and the victim, reveal that the assault occurred while she was working at her job as an announcer.
The investigation also uncovered similar cases involving male Fuji TV employees who left women alone with influential figures, resulting in sexual harassment. In total, four cases of harassment by executives were found to have prevailed within the company.
Fuji Television continued to feature Nakai on its programming after the incident despite warnings from the panel that this was unacceptable. The investigation criticized the company’s handling of the scandal, citing a lack of objective investigation and communication with stakeholders.
Hieda Hisashi, recently stepped down as executive managing advisor at Fuji TV and its parent company, is accused by one lawyer of being heavily influential in corporate culture. Another lawyer stated Hieda personally selected the chairman and president of the corporation, raising questions about his accountability.
Source: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20250331_17