Sanma Akashiya Praises Masahiro Nakai’s Adaptability in Scandal

Nakai’s first and greatest crisis

Masahiro Nakai (52) lost both his immense popularity and personal credibility in a single misstep. However, Sanma Akashiya (69) once praised Nakai’s crisis management following a past romance scandal, remarking, “He’s still got luck as an entertainer.”

In December of last year, Nakai was reported to be involved in a ¥90 million dispute with a woman. On January 9, he acknowledged the issue through a statement on his agency Nonbiri Nakai’s official website. He assured fans that:

“Since a settlement has been reached, there will be no impact on my future entertainment activities.”

However, just two weeks later, on January 23, Nakai announced his retirement from the entertainment industry.

“A certain level of criticism was expected, but as of January 9, Nakai probably believed he could continue his career. In the past, he faced several crises but always managed to overcome them thanks to his high likability,” said a television magazine writer.

One of Nakai’s first and biggest career crises may have been the FRIDAY magazine report in 1997, which revealed his alleged relationship with a “No-Panty Shabu-Shabu” hostess (FRIDAY, November 21, 1997 issue).

At the time, Nakai was 25 years old. The previous year, SMAP×SMAP had begun airing on Fuji TV, quickly making him a national idol. By 1997, he had been selected to host the 48th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen. However, the scandal broke just one month before the prestigious event.

 

Not treating him as a human

After finishing work at 1 a.m., Nakai left his apartment on a silver moped and headed to Setagaya, Tokyo—where a 27-year-old woman, A, lived. The next morning at 11 a.m., he emerged from the apartment wearing a helmet, sunglasses, and what appeared to be a towel covering his mouth as a disguise. He then got on his bike and went straight to work.

As it turned out, the woman spending the night with the nationally beloved idol was a sex worker employed at a No-Panty Shabu-Shabu establishment. At the time, rumors about Nakai’s involvement in this scandal were circulating.

“It’s a well-known place where Ministry of Finance officials (now the Ministry of Finance) were entertained and even pro baseball players would visit. The concept was ‘No-Panty Shabu-Shabu,’ where young women, completely exposed below the waist, served customers. And apparently, the woman involved with SMAP’s Masahiro Nakai worked there. No one had ever heard of him having a girlfriend before, so this was shocking.” (TV program production staff)

So, what exactly was this No-Panty Shabu-Shabu establishment that Nakai was allegedly frequenting? At the time, a customer described it:

“The term ‘No-Panty’ might sound tame, but it was actually quite extreme. The girls wore pink tops with flared skirts, and underneath, they had nothing on but a black bondage-style outfit that left their upper bodies fully exposed. A signature ritual was making customers wear the girls’ removed underwear on their heads. They also used flashlights and CCD cameras to give customers an up-close view of everything.”

How did Nakai and this woman cross paths?

“If you watch Nakai’s shows, you’d know that No-Panty Shabu-Shabu had come up in conversation before. One of his co-stars mentioned having been to one, and Nakai eagerly said, ‘I want to go! I want to go!'” (Commercial TV station director)

A regular customer at the establishment also spoke about the relationship:

“Yeah, A-chan took care of me a few times. One day, she admitted, ‘Actually, I slept with Nakai just once.’ Apparently, they met through a friend. But she was furious, saying, ‘He’s so arrogant—he doesn’t even treat women like human beings.'”

“I didn’t go to the no-panty shabu-shabu restaurant”

Later, Nakai responded to the FRIDAY report with an apology and correction during a press interview. At that time, it was extremely rare for Johnny’s talent to hold a press conference in response to a weekly magazine report, highlighting just how significant the public reaction was. Nakai explained:

“The woman (A) is an old friend. I didn’t know she worked at a No-Panty Shabu-Shabu restaurant, and I’ve never been to one.”

He also firmly stated, “We’re not in a romantic relationship.” When asked by reporters, “Would you want to go to a No-Panty Shabu-Shabu restaurant?” he responded:

“Well, as a man, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to. But as an idol, it’s hard to go.”

This honest answer actually earned him respect.

That year, during the Christmas special Akashiya Santa no Shijō Saidai no Christmas Show (hosted by Sanma Akashiya on Fuji TV), Nakai called in, introducing himself with “Masahiro Nakai here,” and Sanma rang the bell in excitement. Sanma then teased him, saying:

“You just went to eat shabu-shabu, right?” 

He was teased.

“He still has luck as an entertainer.”

and in the end, he was praised for his handling of the situation with the remark.

Had he held a press conference just as gracefully after this recent scandal, the outcome might have been completely different.