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.