Masahiro Nakai’s Negotiations Collapse, but a Bold Ultra-C Plan Aims to Win Public Support

He was curtly told, “We will refrain from any further interaction.”

Former entertainer Masahiro Nakai (52) now stands at a crossroads.

On June 3, Fuji TV’s third-party investigative committee announced regarding future communication with Nakai’s legal representative:

“We will refrain from any further interaction.”

Up to this point, Nakai had formally objected three times to the committee’s designation of sexual violence in their findings.

Committee chairman Akira Takeuchi and others denied Nakai’s request for disclosure of the evidence that led to their determination, stating:

“We are concerned that continued exchanges with you may risk causing secondary harm to the victim, and we ask for your understanding from that perspective as well.”

And with that, they concluded:

“This committee will refrain from any further communication with you.”

Effectively declaring a halt to negotiations.

A sports newspaper reporter commented:

“Nakai’s side demanded disclosure of the evidence that formed the basis for the sexual violence conclusion, but the committee refused on grounds it would compromise their independence. That stance won’t change. Seeing the deadlock ahead, they likely cut off communication early.”

Online, while some support the committee’s decision, others call for full disclosure of the facts. Meanwhile, slander and harassment directed at the female victim, Ms. A, have increased — and with the committee now having thrown in the towel, there’s growing concern the situation may spiral out of control.

Though Nakai is said to have a personal fortune of around 10 billion yen

Former Osaka mayor and lawyer Toru Hashimoto condemned the situation on X (formerly Twitter) on June 3, declaring:

“The third-party committee system is dead.”

He went on to sharply criticize:

“To designate someone’s actions as sexual violence without disclosing evidence — not even prosecutors or courts would do that. Who do Fuji TV’s third-party committee think they are?”

For Nakai, it was also an unexpected development for the committee to abruptly declare an end to negotiations so early. Finding a next move seems difficult — but according to legal experts, there’s one surprising tactic he could consider.

“That would be for Nakai himself to launch his own third-party investigative committee,” said a legal insider. “As Hashimoto pointed out, Fuji’s committee doesn’t have ultimate authority. It was established at Fuji TV’s request. While it should be objective and neutral, it’s still drawn controversy. So Nakai could set up a separate independent committee to examine whether Fuji’s committee truly conducted a fair and impartial investigation. Since this wouldn’t involve the victim’s confidentiality obligations, just the legitimacy of Fuji’s committee itself, it would level the playing field.”

The hurdle, however, would be the cost. Fuji’s third-party committee was made up of prominent lawyers, most of whom reportedly charged fees in the tens of thousands of yen per hour.

“The two-month investigation racked up personnel costs easily surpassing 100 million yen,” the same legal source noted.

“For an individual, footing that bill would normally be impossible. But Nakai reportedly has assets of around 10 billion yen. Since he isn’t looking to return to the entertainment world but rather clear his name, and plans to devote himself to that in retirement, a Nakai-appointed third-party committee isn’t out of the question,” said a TV industry insider.

A formal inquiry was sent to Tokyo Marunouchi Law Office, representing Nakai, asking whether they planned to take any action to independently verify the fairness of Fuji’s third-party committee — but no reply was received by the deadline.

Of course, Nakai couldn’t stack such a committee with his own allies. Even so, a report from a different set of neutral experts might help rein in the growing public chaos. All eyes now turn to what Nakai’s next move will be.