Sanma Akashiya Praises Masahiro Nakai’s Adaptability in Scandal
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.'”
