Masahiro Nakai: Fuji Television’s Third-Party Committee Finds “Sexual Violence”… “Responsibility to Fulfill” Even After Retirement from Entertainment

The image of “sexual assault” does not come to mind at all for Mr. Nakai.

On March 31, the report of the third-party committee’s investigation into Masahiro Nakai’s (52) “trouble with women” was released.

The report describes in detail the situation on the day Mr. Nakai got into trouble with Ms. A. The report states, “Mr. Nakai invited Ms. A out to dinner.

When Mr. Nakai invited Ms. A to dinner, he told her that he had asked other members besides Ms. A. Naturally, Ms. A recognized that it was a dinner party with several people. In reality, however, Mr. Nakai did not call on anyone, and he explained to Ms. A that the heavy rain prevented people from gathering.

At that time, he approached Mr. Nakai to ask if it would be okay for him and Ms. A to meet alone, and pretended to look for a restaurant, but in fact, the hearing revealed that he did not call any restaurants. In the end, they were left alone together at Nakai’s apartment, and the report also describes Ms. A’s state of mind at that time, indicating that Nakai, anticipating that she would be unable to refuse due to her position, had planned from the beginning to be alone with Ms. A in a closed room.

And,

The Committee found that what happened on June 2, 2023, between when Woman A entered Mr. Nakai’s apartment and when she left (this case), Woman A was victimized by Mr. Nakai by means of sexual violence.

The court found that the “trouble with a woman” was sexual violence.

It also states that Mr. Nakai paid the woman 1,000,000 yen to keep her quiet.

Needless to say, fans and others were stunned.

Nakai’s image of “sexual assault” did not come to mind at all, and until now many people thought that the “trouble with women” was not sexual assault but “trouble in a relationship. Many people thought that the “trouble with women” was not sexual assault but “dating trouble. Who would have thought that he was doing something similar to that comedian?

Mr. Nakai often stays at home outside of work.

When we asked people in the private TV industry who had worked with Mr. Nakai, not a single story related to women came up. However, the report has revealed his “secret face.

Nakai’s past female relationships have included reports of relationships with several female announcers, and he was once caught on a trip to a hot spring with singer Koda Raimi. More recently, he was reportedly involved with a choreographer and dancer in 2017.

The only dating trouble he has been reported to have had is with a general woman in 2000, and that is the only one that seems to be trouble.

The members of SMAP rarely went out for drinks, dinners, or other outings, which made the entertainment press weep. Among them, Mr. Nakai, in particular, was often confined to his house outside of work, and I remember that most of his drinking parties were held at home.

However, now that the report has come to light, there is a possibility that Nakai’s activities, which have not been revealed until now, will be brought to light.

Nakai, however, has remained silent since announcing his retirement from show business on January 23 on the website of his fan club.

In the document in which Nakai announced his retirement, he wrote

I do not believe that I have fulfilled all my responsibilities. I will continue to deal with various issues sincerely and in good faith. The entire responsibility lies with me personally. Once again, I would like to apologize from the bottom of my heart to the other party.

A senior executive at a major production company said, “I know it will be difficult because of the problems involved.

The problem is so serious that it must be difficult for him to make a proper apology to his fans, but he should hold a press conference to make things right. Some may say that there is no need for him to apologize because he cannot return to show business, but he is not like other celebrities. He was the leader of a national idol group that took the world by storm and created an “era. Although the details are different, when Shinsuke Shimada retired, he also held a press conference and shed tears when reporters questioned him. Mr. Nakai, too, will be beaten to a pulp, but unless he does so, his words, “I will face him sincerely and with sincerity,” will ring hollow.

Certainly, it must have taken a lot of courage to appear in public after it became clear that he had committed what could be called a sex crime. But he was no ordinary person. He was one of the top idols in the entertainment industry.

There is no doubt that he has been supported by many fans and people involved in his career, and that is why he has been able to build up the position he is in today. Should he be allowed to disappear without any explanation or apology?

If Mr. Nakai truly intends to fulfill his responsibility, now is the time to do so.