NHK Chairman Nobuo Inaba on the Johnny’s issue: “I didn’t take a deep enough view of the situation.

There is no discovery. However, I don’t know if I took into account the companies to which they belonged when I used talent. I deeply regret that.

NHK Chairman Nobuo Inaba (72), who is also the head of NHK, confessed to FRIDAY. The “company” named here refers to the former Johnny’s’s office, which changed its name to SMILE-UP. on October 17.

NHK and Johnny’s have had a close relationship for many years, including the 43rd consecutive year of using their talents in the “Kohaku Uta Gassen” (Red and White Singing Contest). However, this relationship is changing.

At the end of September, NHK indicated that it would not allow any Johnny’s talents to appear on “Kohaku. Furthermore, on October 9, it was reported that a high school student (at the time) who wanted to appear in “The Boys Club” in 2002 was sexually assaulted by the late Janie Kitagawa in the station’s restroom. On the same day, the Johnny’s office issued a statement saying, “There have been several cases where (fake victims) have been falsely told their stories using the testimonies of the real victims.

NHK is now trying to clean up its own mess, even to the point of humiliating its own people, while a new story has emerged: NHK is likely paying hundreds of millions of yen in rent for a building owned by Johnny’s. “NHK has a building in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, that is owned by Johnny’s,” a source close to NHK said.

NHK is said to be renting the third to seventh floors of the “P Building” owned by Johnny’s in Shibuya Ward. The use of the building began around ’19. Inside there is a simple studio for online distribution and editing facilities, which are used by station employees and NHK Enterprises personnel for program production.

The “collusion” does not stop there. In an adjacent building also owned by Johnny’s is an NHK affiliate, and in another building just a minute’s walk away is a production company that produces many NHK programs, including “The Boys’ Club” (a mid-level employee at a key station).

When the FRIDAY reporter actually visited the P building, he saw employees and staff members frequently entering and leaving the building with their NHK entry permits lowered. The floor map does not show the name of the company, but names closely related to video production, such as the editing room, are lined up.

The third through seventh floors of the P building have a total floor space of approximately 900 tsubo. Depending on the terms of the contract, the annual rent will be approximately 270 million yen, based on the market rent rate. If that much has been paid from subscription fees for more than three years, it should be considered a problem.

Top Management Reveals Their True Feelings

In mid-October, FRIDAY directly interviewed Chairman Inaba before he went to work. Dressed in pajamas and staring at the reporter quizzically, Chairman Inaba responded to the interview as described above.

–As a top executive, what are your thoughts on Mr. Janney’s sexual assaults within the bureau?

I take that matter very seriously. We did not take a deep enough view of the facts to report the story.”

– “On the same day, Johnny’s made a comment that there was a false damage report, but is it correct in your understanding that this was reported after exhaustive coverage?

Of course. We at NHK will do our best to report the truth.

–What do you think will happen to “The Boys Club” in the future?

I don’t know. I think they are discussing it right now, but I have not received a final report from the site.

–Do you have a policy at this point of not allowing Japanese talents to appear in “Kohaku”?

If the current situation continues, we will have no choice but to postpone it.

When asked for his opinion on Mr. Janney’s sexual assault, Chairman Inaba grew more emphatic, saying, “Sexual crimes should not be tolerated. However, he minced no words about the payment of billion-dollar tenant fees.

–I was asked, “Have you heard of the P Building?

What is it? I don’t know.

–I think it would be a problem if a large amount of rent is still being paid today.

I don’t know. I don’t have the knowledge to comment on it. ……. All I can say is that I don’t know.”

After saying this, he turned on his heel and went into his house.

Later, when we sent a letter of inquiry to NHK regarding the payment of the high rental fee, we received the following response by the deadline.

‘We do not answer questions regarding individual contracts. (The allegations of sexual assault within the station) are reported based on interviews. （We will cover (the issue of Mr. Janney’s sexual misconduct) in our news and programs as appropriate.”

NHK, as a public broadcaster, is expected to continue to take a firm stand.

From the November 3, 2023 issue of FRIDAY