Masahiro Nakai Acknowledges Sexual Violence in Fuji TV’s Third-Party Report

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

The investigation report by the third-party committee regarding Masahiro Nakai (52) and his “female trouble” was made public on March 31.

The report details the events surrounding the incident with person A.

When Nakai invited A to a meal, he had mentioned inviting other members, which led A to believe that it would be a group gathering. However, in reality, Nakai had not invited anyone else, and explained to A that due to the heavy rain, others could not join. This led to a situation where Nakai and A ended up alone together, but Nakai asked if it would be alright, pretending to search for a restaurant, although he never actually called any establishments, as revealed in the hearings. Ultimately, the situation resulted in Nakai and A being alone together in Nakai’s apartment. The report also describes A’s emotional state during this time, revealing that Nakai had planned from the start to be alone with A in a private setting, anticipating that A, due to her position, would not be able to refuse.

The report further states:

“The committee has recognized that during the time from June 2, 2023, when woman A entered Nakai’s apartment until her departure, A was a victim of sexual violence at the hands of Nakai.”

This confirms that the female trouble was indeed recognized as sexual violence.

Additionally, the report mentions that Nakai tried to silence A by offering her 1 million yen.

It goes without saying that both fans and those involved were stunned.

Many had never associated Nakai with the image of sexual misconduct, and had previously thought the so-called female trouble was merely a relationship issue. Who could have imagined that he would engage in similar actions to that of a comedian?

Mr. Nakai often stays at home outside of work

When asked about Masahiro Nakai by people in the private sector who had worked with him, there were no reports of any such issues related to women. However, the investigation report has revealed his hidden side.

So far, the only reports regarding Nakai’s relationships with women involved rumors of him dating several female announcers, and there were instances where he was caught on a hot spring trip with singer Kumi Koda. More recently, in 2017, there were reports of a romance with a choreographer and dancer.

As for relationship troubles, the only issue reported was an incident in 2000 with a general woman. Any other so-called troubles seem to be limited to that single case.

“SMAP members rarely went out for drinking or social gatherings, making it difficult for entertainment reporters. Among them, Nakai was especially known for staying at home outside of work, and most of his drinking sessions were at home,” said a female magazine reporter.

However, with the revelations in the report, there is now a possibility that Nakai’s past actions, which had previously been hidden, could come to light.

As for Nakai himself, since announcing his retirement from the entertainment industry on January 23 on his fan club’s website, he has remained silent.

In the letter announcing his retirement, Nakai wrote:

“I do not think I have fulfilled all responsibilities. I will continue to sincerely address and respond to various issues. All responsibility lies with me personally. Again, I sincerely apologize to the other party.”

A senior executive from a major production company commented:

“Given the nature of the issue, it will be difficult, but as a form of closure, it would be better for him to hold a press conference and properly apologize to his fans. Some might say there is no need for that since he won’t return to the entertainment industry, but he’s not like those other entertainers. He was the leader of a nationally beloved idol group and helped create an era. While the situation is different, when Shinsuke Shimada retired, he held a press conference and was grilled by reporters, shedding tears. Nakai will likely be harshly questioned, but if he doesn’t do this, his words about sincerely facing the issue and responding with sincerity will sound hollow.”

Indeed, it takes great courage for someone whose actions have been revealed to be sexual crimes to step out in public. However, he is not an ordinary person. He was one of the top idols in the entertainment world.

He has undoubtedly built his current position with the support of many fans and people in the industry. Can he simply disappear without any explanation or apology?

If Nakai is truly committed to taking responsibility, now may be the time to do so.