Major Japanese advertisers are running out of broadcast power fuji television Former boy band idol turned TV host after an alleged sex scandal Masahiro NakaiIndustry giants such as Toyota, Nissan and Shiseido are among the more than 50 companies removing their locations from the network. According to the Associated Press.
Advertisement The crisis arose when weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun reported in December that Nakai, a former member of mega-successful male group SMAP, had reached a JPY90 million ($577,000) settlement with a woman over alleged sexual assault at a 2023 dinner party . While Nakai acknowledged solving “a problem”, he denied any violence had occurred.
The situation came to a head after Fuji TV president Koichi Minato’s Friday press conference, which was widely criticized for its lack of transparency. Minato admitted that the network was not aware of the incident for approximately six months before the magazine’s revelations.
Adding fuel to the fire, Shukan Bunshun’s latest explosive report includes allegations from an unnamed female Fuji announcer, who claims that a senior company executive had arranged for several similar ceremonies for Nakai.
Fuji TV launched an internal investigation only after pressure from Rising Sun management, one of its major shareholders affiliated with American investment firm Dalton Investments.
Corporate giant Nissan, one of several blue-chip advertisers, confirmed on Tuesday that it has removed its ads from the network and is monitoring the situation before making further decisions.
The scandal marks another dark chapter for Japan’s entertainment industry, which is still grappling with Johnny & Associates abuse revelationsSThe major talent agency that previously managed SMAP admitted in 2023 to widespread sexual exploitation of young male talents by its late founder Johnny Kitagawa.