Did He Go to New York? The Surprising Backstory of Fuji TV’s Personnel Shift

A director resigns after misconduct comes to light

Following a series of issues surrounding former talent Masahiro Nakai (53), Fuji Television—now pushing ahead with major corporate reforms under a revamped management team—has been hit by yet another executive scandal.

On November 7, Fuji Media Holdings (FMH) announced via its official website that FMH and Fuji TV director Michiyo Yasuda (55) had resigned the same day due to improper expense reimbursements. According to company president Kenji Shimizu (64), who held a press conference that evening, the issue came to light during an internal audit in mid-September. A subsequent investigation found roughly 60 expense claims since 2020 that did not match the facts, totaling about one million yen. Yasuda admitted the misconduct, expressed her intention to repay the funds, and submitted her resignation.

“Expense checks have become much stricter as part of the company’s reforms. Under the previous system, reimbursements like these might not have become a major issue, but the new management isn’t letting anything slip. The days when certain employees could do whatever they wanted are over,” said a sports newspaper reporter.

One of those who allegedly enjoyed such do-whatever-you-want freedom was former programming executive B (as referred to in the third-party committee report), who received a four-level demotion and a one-month disciplinary suspension for harassment and other misconduct uncovered by the committee. According to the report, B—known to have had a close relationship with Nakai—organized a meeting in a suite at a foreign-owned luxury hotel in Tokyo, attended by Nakai and talent U (also a pseudonym used in the report).

The cost B paid for the suite was 381,365 yen, which he billed to the company as facility usage fees for program filming.

“Under the old regime, B was never questioned about how much he spent. Compared to that, some people say Yasuda is being treated too harshly,” said a mid-level employee at Fuji TV.

After being disciplined in June, B was reportedly assigned to a subsidiary in New York starting in July.

“There have been past instances where employees involved in problems were quietly reassigned to the New York subsidiary until things cooled down. When I heard he was going to New York, I thought, ‘So B is following the same pattern,’” the sports newspaper reporter added.

A chance at a second try

However, a new fact emerged in the personnel changes dated October 1. B’s new title was listed as “Corporate Headquarters, Digital Strategy Office — Manager.” The Fuji TV employee quoted earlier continues:

“It’s rumored that employees—especially those who had worked in the same department as B—organized a petition opposing his reassignment to New York. Some say the petition was even taken to the U.S. Embassy in Japan to directly request that B’s visa application not be approved.

The Digital Strategy Office at Corporate Headquarters is a newly established division. As its manager, B will be responsible for promoting workplace reforms through digital technology and pushing technological innovation using tools like generative AI.

Because this is a department expected to shape the future of the company, if he produces results there, it’s possible he could eventually return to the production field. This personnel change can be interpreted as giving B a chance to try again.” (Fuji employee)

Was there really a petition campaign to block B’s New York assignment? And was this new position truly intended as an opportunity for him to try again? When FRIDAY asked Fuji TV, the company responded: “We do not disclose details of personnel matters, but the facts suggested in your questions are entirely untrue.”

The road to rebuilding is long—and steep.

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