Masahiro Nakai’s Defense Fails to Convince Amid Human Rights Violations Concerns

A possible violation of human rights.
The press conference, which lasted until 2 AM, was a futile passage of time.
The re-do press conference held on January 27, following the first closed-camera conference on the 17th, saw a shift from no media presence to the participation of 437 attendees, including not only existing media but also freelance journalists. The question-and-answer session lasted an unrestricted 10.5 hours.
At the start, Fuji Television President Koichi Minato (72) and Fuji Media Holdings Chairman Shuji Kano (74) announced their resignations, and the newly appointed president Kenji Shimizu (64) also took the stage. However, the absence of the highest-ranking figure at Fuji Television, Senior Adviser Hisashi Hieda (87), led to calls for accountability.
The most heated part of the conference revolved around what happened between Masahiro Nakai (52) and the female victim. Minato, who was informed of the situation two months after the trouble in June 2023, said,
“This is a case with the potential for human rights violations.”
It is fully understandable that the matter involves sensitive issues, including sexual misconduct. However, when questioned about Fuji Television’s inadequate response and failure to report to the Compliance Promotion Office, Minato repeatedly answered,
“The woman’s feelings were prioritized.”
“The woman’s privacy was prioritized.”
This approach to “considering” the victim inadvertently led to the concealment of the incident. Minato was the only one among the five participants who learned of the situation shortly after the trouble occurred. Others only learned about it after the December report by “Women’s Seven.”
Ryunosuke Endo, Fuji Television Vice Chairman and head of the Compliance Promotion Office (68), questioned the limitation of information sharing, stating,
“Considering the woman’s mental state, it should have been shared, and I believe it was possible.”
He expressed doubt about the decision to restrict information to only some employees, including Minato.
Discovery for TV Star Masahiro Nakai
Additionally, regarding why Masahiro Nakai, the perpetrator, continued to host the show “Dareka to Nakai” and was still hired for new special programs after the incident, Minato responded:
“I didn’t want to do anything that would provoke the woman by ending the show.”
However, few will likely be satisfied with this answer.
The details revealed at the press conference only fueled suspicions that Fuji Television prioritized Nakai, the “national star,” over the victim. When questioned about this, Minato said:
“I didn’t think of that.”
However, the suspicion that they were showing consideration for Nakai, the television star, was not dispelled.
Regarding the “human rights violation possibility” between Nakai and the victim, Endo, who was pressed by reporters, said:
“Was there agreement or disagreement?”
Later, he retracted this statement and corrected himself:
“I cannot answer due to privacy concerns.”
This caused an uproar in the room, with loud angry voices. Pressed by further questions, Minato stammered:
“There could be a possibility of disagreement.”
But then he avoided the question, saying:
“I cannot say whether it was agreement or disagreement. I would like to leave that to the third-party committee.”
There were also concentrated questions about the Fuji Television executive, Mr. A, from the Programming Department, who had been involved in the situation. Regarding suspicions that he had been involved with Nakai and the woman on the day of the incident, Fuji Television denied it after investigating text messages and LINE history:
“We didn’t find any content suggesting involvement.”
However, the victim had participated in a barbecue at Nakai’s house in May 2023 and a social gathering at a hotel in 2021, and it was acknowledged that Mr. A was involved. Fuji Television also could not dispel the suspicions surrounding Mr. A’s alleged “tribute” to talents.
Minato repeatedly stated during the press conference:
“We did not take Nakai’s side.”
However, after the trouble, the victim took a break and eventually left her job, while Nakai continued his regular programs and appeared in special programs on Fuji.
The suspicion that Fuji Television “protected” Nakai over the victim could not be dispelled, and it is inevitable that the network’s compliance awareness will be questioned. With this, regaining the trust of sponsors will be difficult.
It seems we will have to wait for the third-party committee’s investigation scheduled for the end of March.
Reporting and writing: Norifumi Arakida (FRIDAY Digital Entertainment Desk) PHOTO: Kazuhiko Nakamura