Jiro Sato Alludes to the Truth—Hashimoto Ai’s Camp and Fuji TV Still Unable to Resolve Their Dispute

“She shouldn;t be an actor”

The controversy reported by “Shukan Bunshun” involving popular actor Jiro Sato (57) and actress Ai Hashimoto (30)continues to have repercussions.

According to the report, during the filming of the Fuji TV drama Fufu Bessei Keiji (Married, Separate Surnames Detective), which aired its final episode on June 23, Sato touched Hashimoto’s chin without warning, triggering a major dispute.

Hashimoto had previously experienced harassment by a man, leaving her with trauma. As a result, great care reportedly needed to be taken regarding any physical contact with her during filming. Sato was unaware of this at the time. After later learning about it, he reportedly went to Hashimoto’s dressing room and confronted her, questioning why he had not been informed.

According to the article, the harassment issue did not stem from Sato touching her chin itself. Rather, it was that he entered Hashimoto’s dressing room—her private space—and forcefully argued his position there.

Furthermore, even after Sato’s first visit to her dressing room, Fuji TV reportedly warned him about his conduct. Nevertheless, after watching the completed first episode, he allegedly entered her dressing room again and told her:

“You shouldn’t be an actor.”

The remark reportedly criticized her ability to continue her acting career.

In a statement released on July 2, Fuji Television acknowledged:

“An external lawyer’s investigation found problematic comments made by the male actor after he became aware of the circumstances that had resulted in the female actor having certain limitations in performing her role.”

Sato’s management agency also released a statement on July 1, saying:

“I sincerely believe we live in a society where a person’s emotional scars from the past should be respected to the fullest. However, if someone has trauma and is going to portray a married couple on screen, I believe they should share that situation with their co-star beforehand. I also told her that if those circumstances were to continue, then personally I wondered whether she should continue working as an actor.”

At the same time, Sato himself issued a statement through his agency:

“I am deeply disappointed that what I believed was a sincere effort to perform together with the Fuji TV staff and my fellow cast members has resulted in reporting like this. I only hope that all of the facts will eventually come to light.”

He also posted on X:

“During filming, I repeatedly said, ‘I’ve reached the limit of what I can endure. Please let me leave this drama, and all of the facts should be made public.’

I should have made that decision sooner.

I sincerely pray that the day will come when the many real truths are finally revealed.”

The article notes that Sato’s repeated references to the real truths give his statements a deliberately suggestive tone, implying that he believes there are important aspects of the incident that have not yet been made public.

The dispute is still ongoing

“Judging from ‘Shukan Bunshun’s’ report, Mr. Sato’s statement, and Fuji Television’s comments, there aren’t any major discrepancies in the timeline. They all agree on the basic facts—that he entered her dressing room and made remarks along the lines of ‘You shouldn’t be an actor.’

What’s left is the difference in how each side interprets what happened. Looking at the statements from all three parties, the broad outline of the incident is already fairly clear. However, Mr. Sato continues to speak as though there’s still something more to reveal. That’s the part that stands out,” said an entertainment reporter for a sports newspaper.

In fact, word had already begun circulating last month that problems had arisen during the filming of “Fufu Bessei Keiji.”

According to an entertainment industry source familiar with the situation:

“Even after the drama wrapped filming, the dispute has continued and still hasn’t been resolved. I’ve heard that Hashimoto’s side is still in discussions with Fuji Television, and that lawyers are involved. I’ve also heard that conversations have extended to matters concerning Hashimoto’s future career.”

There is also information suggesting that Hashimoto’s side takes issue with Fuji Television’s handling of the situation, particularly the fact that Sato was reportedly allowed to enter her dressing room twice.

On July 4, Hashimoto’s agency released the following statement:

“Regarding the matter reported in the media, both our company and our actress have received a report from Fuji Television following interviews conducted by lawyers with the parties involved and related individuals. Our understanding is that Fuji Television’s public announcement accurately reflects the facts as they were determined.”

This website subsequently sent Fuji Television a written inquiry asking whether discussions with Hashimoto’s side were still ongoing.

The network responded:

“Since the beginning of this matter, we have continued discussions with both the female actor’s agency and the male actor’s agency.”

According to that response, negotiations and discussions appear to still be continuing behind the scenes.

As for what Sato meant when he referred to the real truths, that remains unclear.

For now, the controversy appears far from over.