Fuji TV Employee Reveals Key Timing of Hieda’s Resignation Ahead of Report

Until a culture of loyalty to Hieda and deference was established

Fuji TV continued to use Masahiro Nakai (52) on their program for a year and a half, despite having learned immediately afterward about the serious female-related trouble he was involved in.

Why did this happen? Was there an intention to cover it up? Did Fuji employees match the victim with Nakai? Were female announcers used as entertainment for him? Various suspicions are being investigated by an external committee, and a report is expected by the end of this month.

With sponsors fleeing one after another, and cooperation being refused at drama and variety shoot locations, how are the Fuji TV employees coping with these anxious and inconvenient days? Before the significant March 27th board of directors meeting, Friday Digital conducted an interview with a veteran employee, Mr. X.

— It has been reported that the victim sent a thank-you email to Nakai right after the trouble occurred, causing some controversy.

“What kind of trouble occurred between the victim and Nakai? Since that has not been clarified, I can’t say much, but  generally, in cases of sexual harassment, it is common for victims to send thank-you emails to the perpetrator afterward, such as via LINE.

It is not uncommon for victims to send such messages when they are shaken or thinking about future interactions. A thank-you does not equal consent. Usually, women who are shocked to the point of developing PTSD are not in a normal mental state. Nakai’s lawyer has admitted that a large sum of money was paid as a settlement. It’s clear that an abnormal situation occurred.”

As A stated, victims of sexual violence may not want to acknowledge what happened to them, or they may fear worsening their relationship with the perpetrator, who may hold a higher social status or power. For various reasons, they might exhibit behaviors that align with the perpetrator.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare pointed out the following in the “Guidelines for Psychological Stress-Induced Mental Disorders” issued in 2023 under the section on “Matters to Consider in Sexual Harassment Cases”:

“The victim of sexual harassment (hereinafter referred to as the victim) may, due to the desire to continue their employment or to minimize the impact of the harassment from the perpetrator (hereinafter referred to as the perpetrator), feel compelled to send emails or accept invitations that align with the perpetrator. However, these actions do not serve as a simple reason to deny that sexual harassment occurred.”

Why did Hisashi Hieda never attend the press conference?

“Because it was unrelated to this trouble. Mr. Hieda is an advisory director at Fuji Media Holdings and Fuji TV, and the rumors that he ‘still holds actual power at Fuji TV’ circulating in the public are false.

The problem is that Mr. Hieda still controls personnel decisions at Fuji TV, and this is the perception within the company. It’s undeniable that those who are close to him have advanced in their careers. Former President Koichi Minato (72) might not be certain in reality, but at least within the company, it’s believed that his rise to president was because he served Mr. Hieda.

Because of this perception within Fuji, a culture of loyalty to Mr. Hieda and acting in accordance with his wishes has been established. Those who don’t conform leave the company, while those who do remain.

Before Mr. Hieda takes any action, his loyal subordinates anticipate his moves and act in advance, preserving the old system and making it hard to create an atmosphere for trying new things. For example, the annual World Cultural Award (Takamatsu Prince Memorial World Cultural Award) has long been a project that Mr. Hieda is personally invested in. That’s why the employees have worked together, with great tension, to gather their strength for success.”

Missed the chance to remove Nakai

Because he continued to reign as a dominant figure, has a culture of deference emerged at Fuji? Does Mr. Hieda intends to take no responsibility for this?

“If a motion for dismissal is raised at the shareholder meeting or the executive election, there is a possibility he will step down. Even if a press conference is held and the president resigns, Fuji TV would not be forgiven. The last card to show ‘Fuji has changed’ is Mr. Hieda’s resignation. The question is when to play this card.

It is a groundbreaking development that criticism of Mr. Hieda within the company can now be reported. What was once taboo is no longer so. However, Weekly Bunshun acknowledged that part of their first report was incorrect and issued a correction. It wasn’t A, the senior programming executive, who organized the drinking session with the victim, but rather Nakai who invited the victim along with A and others. Now, it’s unclear what the actual issue is.”

 “However, Nakai has admitted to the trouble, and the upper management at Fuji TV was aware of it. Why did they continue to use him on the program?

“At first, only a handful of senior executives at Fuji knew about the incident. If they had removed Nakai immediately, the media would have started asking, ‘What happened?’ Also, if there was a woman who developed PTSD at the same time—media speculation would have caused further damage to the victim, which they likely wanted to avoid.

However, I believe there were other options. Even if it was difficult to remove Nakai immediately, for example, when Matsumoto (61) had a break due to his own troubles with women, they could have canceled Matsumo to Nakai.”

If the third-party committee’s investigation clarifies the truth, is there a possibility that Fuji TV could seek damages or criminal responsibility from Nakai?

“If it was non-consensual intercourse, there could be a criminal case, but without the victim’s testimony, it would be impossible to prove. As you can see from the articles, the victim has not testified about the core of the trouble.”

Then—after the interview with A, the ‘Hieda resignation’ card was played at the board meeting on March 27.

One of the major points going forward is the ‘drinking party’ organized by executive A in the suite at the Grand Hyatt in Roppongi, where he invited Matsumoto and Nakai. The high cost of ‘drinks,’ estimated at 400,000–500,000 yen per night, raises the question of who paid for it. Was it processed as a business expense by Fuji TV?

“Even though A is an executive, no regular employee could easily pay such an amount. A was also involved with ‘Wide na Show.’ Considering the strong relationships between A, Nakai, and Matsumoto, it’s natural to assume these expenses were classified as entertainment costs. If that’s the case, regaining their image won’t be easy. They may even be considering selling off the entire station” (a Fuji-related source).

The third-party committee’s findings may open Pandora’s box.