Major Japanese advertisers are fleeing television giant Fuji Television after an alleged sex scandal involving former boy band idol and TV presenter Masahiro Nakai. Industry heavyweights such as Toyota, Nissan and Shiseido are among the more than 50 companies that are removing their place from the network. according to the Associated Press.
The advertising crisis erupted after weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun reported in December that Nakai, a former member of the mega-successful men’s group SMAP, had reached a JPY90 million ($577,000) settlement with a woman over an alleged sexual assault during a 2023 dinner party. Although Nakai acknowledged that he had solved ‘a problem’, he denied that any violence had taken place.
The situation reached a boiling point after a press conference Friday by Fuji TV President Koichi Minato, which drew widespread criticism for the lack of transparency. Minato admitted that the network knew about the incident for about six months before the magazine’s revelation broke the story.
To add fuel to the fire, Shukan Bunshun’s latest bombshell report includes allegations from an unnamed female Fuji announcer who claims that a senior company executive had organized multiple similar meetings for Nakai.
Fuji TV only started an internal investigation under pressure from Rising Sun Management, one of its major shareholders affiliated with the American investment company Dalton Investment.
Corporate giant Nissan, one of several major advertisers getting involved, confirmed on Tuesday that it has pulled its advertising from the network and is monitoring the situation before making any further decisions.
The scandal marks a new dark chapter for Japan’s entertainment industry, which is still reeling from the revelations of Johnny & Associates’ abuse. The prominent talent agency, which previously ran SMAP, admitted in 2023 to widespread sexual abuse of young male talent by late founder Johnny Kitagawa.