Masahiro Nakai’s Year-End Comeback Amid Women Trouble Scandal

A strange incident two weeks before the Nakai scandal.

The “90 million yen women scandal” of former SMAP member Masahiro Nakai (52) shook the entertainment industry over the New Year period. Following the scandal, broadcasts were canceled, recordings were put on hold, and the once-super idol disappeared from television, radio, and commercials.

His final regular terrestrial broadcast, the four-hour special of The! Sekai Gyoten News (Nippon TV) on January 7, was known for its double MC format with Shofukutei Tsurube (73). However, all of Nakai’s scenes were cut, leaving only Tsurube on screen—a shocking edit.

“They structured the show with more pre-recorded VTRs than usual. The editing was highly unusual, with the focus shifting from the MCs to the panelists. Some VTRs even lacked insets of the hosts’ reactions, suggesting that they hastily increased VTR segments after Nakai’s scandal broke. Since it was a four-hour special, viewers watched closely to see if Nakai would appear, but not only was his presence completely removed, even his voice was nearly erased. While the absence was noticeable, the editing was impressive—it’s a testament to why Nippon TV’s primetime programs are so well-crafted,” said a key station producer.

Nakai’s abrupt departure due to his own Gyoten News-worthy scandal has forced other networks to scramble in response. An assistant producer at a production company revealed:

“At TBS, projects that were once shelved for being too difficult in terms of production are suddenly being revived. A project I submitted for the year-end and New Year’s period was abruptly scheduled for broadcast in March. I was told, ‘There’s an empty Friday slot, and we have nothing to air until March.’ These special programs started resurfacing about two weeks before Nakai’s scandal came to light.”

This suggests that TBS had already decided early on to suspend broadcasts of Masahiro Nakai’s Friday Smile Show. “Until March” likely means they are filling the slot with specials before replacing it with a new regular program after the spring lineup revision.

A photo of them kissing was leaked.

Meanwhile, Fuji TV’s programming executive A, who is said to have facilitated the connection between Nakai and the victimized woman, remains a hot topic in the industry.

“The day after Nakai’s scandal was reported, our meeting was dominated by talk about A. I even overheard a veteran broadcast writer say, ‘I heard A has been suspended from work.’ However, it’s not uncommon for female announcers and employees to be summoned to VIP gatherings. This is just one of television’s long-standing bad practices finally coming to light, so no one seemed particularly shocked,” said a broadcast writer.

According to the writer, even after Nakai’s scandal was exposed, A continued attending dinners and meetings with industry figures. A Fuji TV employee added:

“When negotiating distribution fees with major talent agencies for online streaming, A notably sided with the agencies throughout. You could say it was a ‘talent-first’ approach. I also heard rumors that some kissing and bedroom photos have leaked. He has always been surrounded by talk of women.”

Nakai was the MC of many programs, and those who advanced their careers by aligning with him—along with production companies that benefited from his presence—are now in a state of unease.

The power balance within the television industry could be in for a major shift.