“Mr. Hashimoto Was Smiling”: The “Unnecessary Remark” Left in a Comment by Jiro Sato’s Camp

Fuji TV’s Outside Attorney Calls It “Harassment”

The harassment scandal involving actor Jiro Sato (57) and actress Ai Hashimoto (30) continues to linger.

According to a report in the July 2 issue of *Shukan Bunshun*, the trouble arose when Sato touched Hashimoto’s chin in an ad-libbed scene from the co-starring drama *Detective: Married Couples with Different Surnames* (Fuji TV).Hashimoto is an actress who has restrictions on physical contact due to past experiences of harassment. Upon learning of this later, Sato stormed into Hashimoto’s dressing room and, while acknowledging her past trauma, told her that if she continued to request restrictions on physical contact,

“she shouldn’t accept roles as a married couple,”

“You shouldn’t continue acting,”

Fuji TV’s outside attorney deemed this “harassment.” Sato’s agency responded to the *Bunshun* report by stating

“The report presents a one-sided account, which we find extremely regrettable,”

In response, Sato himself revealed to *Shukan Shincho* the demands made by Hashimoto’s side and the mishandling by Fuji TV’s outside attorney.

Amid all this, a media insider covering the scandal on the front lines said,

“Immediately after the *Bunshun* report, I thought, ‘Huh?’ when I saw how Jiro Sato’s side responded,”

. Bunshun’s advance copies reached various media outlets on July 1. Just as the industry was in an uproar, a source close to Sato’s side announced

“We will issue a rebuttal statement by the end of today,”

.

“Do we really need this sentence?”

The press release that was subsequently issued detailed the process leading up to Sato’s side informing him of the contact restrictions, as well as the circumstances that led to the dressing room visit. Two points stood out to me. The first was

“We have received confirmation from experts that Sato’s words and actions do not constitute harassment,”

. The names of the lawyers or other experts who made that determination were not disclosed, leaving the argument lacking in substance.

The second point was that, as Sato was leaving Hashimoto’s dressing room,

it stated: 〈Ms. Hashimoto was smiling even as Sato left the room〉

. The sports newspaper reporter mentioned earlier points out:

“To be honest, I wonder, ‘Is this sentence even necessary?’ From Sato’s perspective, they may want to say, ‘The conversation with Hashimoto in the dressing room ended amicably.’To put it another way, they might want to argue, ‘She didn’t seem shocked by it.’ However, in recent harassment cases, it’s often the case that even if it appears the victim accepted the situation on the spot, the reality is different. In fact, by including that sentence, Sato’s side has raised suspicions that they ‘might not understand the true nature of the matter.’”

Just because she was smiling doesn’t mean it was okay. It’s also possible that Hashimoto’s side deliberately acted as if nothing was wrong in an attempt to get through the situation.

Sure enough, in the statement Fuji TV released on July 7, regarding Hashimoto’s state after Sato’s unannounced visit to her dressing room, it stated:

“The female actress was deeply shaken by the sudden nature of the male actor’s visit, as well as the content of his remarks and the forcefulness of his tone, and for some time afterward, she was unable to stop crying,”

. A television industry insider told this website,

“Fundamentally, I suspect that both Mr. Sato and his agency lacked a proper understanding of compliance and harassment. The agency’s statement didn’t seem like something that had undergone prior legal review,”

said an official from a television network in an interview with this site.

This controversy has become increasingly entangled. We can only hope it will eventually blow over…

[YouTube] On FRIDAY Digital’s “Entertainment Reporter Channel,” active entertainment reporters delve deeply into the behind-the-scenes “quagmire” where the power dynamics of the entertainment industry are revealed, in an episode titled “Jiro Sato vs. Ai Hashimoto vs. Fuji TV: The ‘Shocking Backstory’ Only Active Reporters Know,”explaining “what is happening beneath the surface right now.”