Committee Finds Sexual Assault and Failure in Helping Victim

A third-party committee on alleged sexual assault on former female staff of Fuji Television, one of the key private TV stations in Tokyo, published its report on the issue. The report found that sexual assault was made by a TV star, Masahiro Nakai, and the TV station failed in protecting her. Revealing other examples of sexual harassment, it concluded that generosities on sexual harassment existed in Fuji Television. 

A weekly magazine reported last December a scandal of Nakai in which he paid money to a woman for private trouble. While it was indicated that the woman was an announcer of Fuji Television, the TV station asked investigation to newly-launched third-party committee. While Fuji was lagging behind in internal investigation, the sponsors left from programs of Fuji, causing financial damage on the TV station.

 

The report recognizes the case as sexual assault made by Nakai. According to its research, Nakai invited the woman to a dinner on June 2nd, 2023, pretending it to be a meeting with some colleagues. Nakai invited her to his home, when she realized that it was one-on-one meeting. The committee realized that the meeting could be categorized as one of her jobs as a staff of Fuji Television. It found that it was natural for her not refusing Nakai’s invitation, because of apparent power gap between Nakai and her.

 

Some of the top managers, including then president Koichi Minato, realized the case in August, 2023. But they did not make any research on details about what had happened on her and put the case aside, assuming it to be a private trouble between man and woman. The committee evaluated their handling of the issue to be a failure in risk assessment. “A series of handlings by Fuji did not consist any form of management decision,” says the report.

 

The report even acknowledged that the measures Fuji took after the incident caused “second damage” on the woman. Fuji sided on Nakai by using him as the main character of its program, while the woman had to quit her own program with mental upset. Fuji handed her in hospital 1 million yen on behalf of Nakai, which could be recognized as a fact indicating close connection between Fuji and Nakai. The woman turned the money back and retired Fuji.

 

The committee concluded Fuji had a culture that tolerates harassment, revealing other cases in the past, in which two of male board members had been involved in sexual or power harassment. Those people were promoted to the position of management, regardless their inappropriate behaviors on woman.

 

The sponsors have not decided to resume their commercials in the programs of Fuji. Although the report discovered unknown facts in Fuji, it is still not clear whether the TV station will be able to rebuild itself. The president of Fuji Television, Kenji Shimizu, promised thorough investigation and punishment on related people. But no one knows when financial hardship of Fuji Television will end.

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