“To everyone at Fuji — Hisashi Hieda, Former Senior Advisor at Fuji TV, Delivers a Message to His Former Employer in a Public Appearance for the First Time in 1 Year and 9 Months
“I feel truly happy about this”
A white-haired man slowly made his way onto the stage, leaning on a cane and taking cautious steps. As soon as he took his seat at the press conference, he surveyed the room with the sharp gaze he had once been known for.
He was Hisashi Hieda (88), who reigned as the top executive at Fuji TV for approximately 40 years.
On September 8, Hieda attended a press conference in Tokyo announcing the recipients of the Praemium Imperiale, known in Japan as the Takamatsu-no-miya-denka Kinen Sekai Bunka-sho, as well as the winners of the 29th Young Artists Encouragement Program. It was his first public appearance in one year and nine months.
“For many years, Hieda served as chairman and representative director of both Fuji Media Holdings (FMH) and Fuji Television. Even after stepping down in 2017, he continued to wield influence as senior adviser to Fuji Media Holdings and representative of the Fujisankei Group, including having a say in the appointment of presidents. He was known as Fuji’s ‘don.’
Following the controversy surrounding a female-related issue involving former TV personality Masahiro Nakai (54), which came to light in June 2023, the company’s compliance practices and corporate culture also came under scrutiny, and criticism was concentrated on Hieda, who had been involved in management for roughly 40 years. He stepped down from his position effective March 27 last year. This time, he appeared in public in his capacity as chairman of the Japan Art Association, which belongs to the Fujisankei Group and which he has led since 2008. It was his first public appearance in one year and nine months,” said a social affairs reporter for a national newspaper.
Hieda had been hospitalized in February last year after suffering a compression fracture of the lumbar spine, and he did not attend last year’s press conference or awards ceremony for the program. As he took the stage using a cane, as described above, his footing appeared quite unsteady. As soon as he sat down, he greeted the audience:
“I’m Hieda. Please excuse me for remaining seated.”
He then read out the winners of the awards in each category. When reporters asked him about appearing in public for the first time in a long while, he smiled and said:
“I’m even happier than you are. Today, I was wondering whether I would be able to walk or even sit down. To see familiar faces again and to be able to sit here and announce the winners like this—I feel truly happy about it.”
He continued:
“I feel truly fortunate that we are able to do work that connects people with people and countries with countries through culture and the arts around the world. So I hope everyone at Fuji TV will also consider that they are playing a part in this.”
He thus delivered a message to Fuji TV.
Fuji TV is currently embroiled in a lawsuit in which it is seeking ¥5 billion in damages from Koichi Minato (74), Hieda’s direct subordinate who served as president during Hieda’s tenure as senior adviser, and Ryo Ota (67), the former senior managing director who was described as Hieda’s right-hand man.
At the time, Fuji TV made no attempt to pursue Hieda’s responsibility whatsoever, and when it sued the two men and sought a massive sum in damages, it was mocked as merely cutting off the lizard’s tail. Yet judging from Hieda’s remarks at the press conference, his influence over the network may still remain considerable.
