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.