Fuji Television Network: Behind the “Transfer of Executive A” to the Personnel Bureau, Masahiro Nakai’s Third-Party Committee and the “Confidentiality Obligation” Barrier

Xko and Mr. A attended Nakai’s home barbecue

Mr. A, a senior programming executive at Fuji Television Network, who is regarded as a key figure in the female troubles of former TV personality Masahiro Nakai (52), has been transferred to the Personnel Bureau. The reason for the transfer is that “it has become difficult for him to execute his duties,” according to the station, and his former duties will be taken over by his superiors.

Following the series of allegations, Mr. A stopped coming to work on January 15. He has now returned to work both remotely and by coming to the office.

He told people around him that ‘I really had nothing to do with it,’ and he was coming to work as usual around mid-December of last year, when Nakai’s trouble was reported. However, when the turmoil spread further than expected, he became a target of the media, and decided to refrain from coming to work. Rather than being a leftward shift, the transfer this time was more of a move to smoothly cooperate with the third-party committee as a target of its investigation. He is still denying any involvement in the dinner in question.

Nakai got into trouble with Ms. Xko, a former Fuji employee, in June 2011. It was reported in the Shukan Bunshun that Mr. A led the dinner, but on January 28, Bunshun reported the following

Mr. Nakai invited Ms. X to dinner.

However, on January 28, Bunshun corrected the report to say that “Mr. Nakai invited Ms. X. However, this does not necessarily mean that Mr. A is “clean. One month before the dinner in question, Ms. X and Mr. A attended a barbecue held at Mr. Nakai’s home. It is also reported that Mr. A was actively involved in the relationship between Mr. Nakai and Ms. X at a dinner party held at a different location after the barbecue was over.

There are also reports that Mr. Nakai and Ms. Xko exchanged contact information for the first time on the spot. Since the trouble occurred a month later, it is impossible to say that they had nothing to do with it.

The third-party committee hopes to announce the results of its investigation by the end of March, but the process is expected to be difficult. It is unclear whether Mr. Nakai and Ms. X will agree to the investigation. Furthermore, both parties settled their differences after the trouble and signed a confidentiality agreement at that time.

If they really want to investigate, they will have to submit their entire smartphones.

However, this “confidentiality obligation” is troublesome. The third-party committee has to take this into consideration, and in order to hear the truth of the matter, Mr. Nakai and Ms. X must agree to a “limited release” of the confidentiality obligation. Even if one party agrees, if the other party does not, the confidentiality obligation cannot be lifted. First of all, they will probably focus their interviews on the staff members who received reports of trouble from Mr. Nakai and Ms. X.” (a reporter in charge of entertainment at a sports newspaper).

The person to whom Ms. Xko reported the damage is said to be announcer Kyoko Sasaki, but according to a Fuji insider, “The fact that the disturbance has spread is a shock to the staff.

According to a Fuji insider, “I hear that she is in shock at the escalation of the trouble and is not in good health.

Mr. A is already worried about Sasaki.

The aforementioned Mr. A has already submitted his smartphone’s call and LINE history, but it is possible to delete both records. If they are serious about investigating, they would have to ask him to submit his entire smartphone, but it is unlikely that a third-party panel without “investigative powers” would have that much authority.

Fuji seems to want to somehow announce the results by the time of the April reshuffle, but I suspect that time will be tight. If they hurriedly report the results of the investigation, they are sure to cause further flare-ups. I think it would be better to be thorough without setting a deadline.

If further allegations are reported during the investigation by the third-party committee, the announcement of the results may be pushed back. It is not a matter of “leaving the matter in the hands of the third-party committee. Fuji’s moment of truth is likely to continue.