Photo/Illutration The building that serves as the headquarters of Fuji Television Network Inc. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

After weeks of growing public distrust and accusations of enabling sexual misconduct, Fuji Television Network Inc. finally held a briefing on the scandal involving a popular TV personality on Jan. 17.

At the end of last year, the weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun and other media reported on a sexual incident involving the celebrity Masahiro Nakai and a woman.

Nakai issued a statement acknowledging the “trouble.” Additionally, the article suggested the involvement of Fuji TV employees.

Both Fuji TV and Nakai have denied the allegation, but if the national commercial TV network’s employees were involved in any way, it would raise even more serious issues.

Some shareholders of Fuji's parent company, Fuji Media Holdings Inc., have criticized the lack of transparency in their response to the scandal, which has made headlines and caused a stir on social media.

During the highly anticipated news conference held under intense public scrutiny, Fuji TV President Koichi Minato was directly asked if it was common practice for "employees to leave a celebrity and a woman alone to engage in sexual contact.”

Minato evaded a direct answer, stating, "I would like to believe that was not the case."

Public distrust in the company centers on whether women are being sexually exploited to cultivate relationships with influential entertainers.

Media reports suggest that Minato received regular updates on the latest incident. To address these serious allegations, which have severely eroded public trust in the company, a comprehensive investigation and transparent explanation, including an examination of the president's own responsibility, are crucial.

At the news conference, Fuji TV announced the formation of an investigation committee headed by lawyers. However, the network pointedly avoided confirming whether this would be a truly independent, third-party committee as recommended by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations' guidelines.

However, Fuji TV repeatedly deflected reporters' questions, stating that the answers should be "left to the investigation." This raises concerns that the investigation committee may be a mere facade, rather than a genuine effort to uncover the truth.

Shortly after the reports of alleged sexual misconduct by Nakai, formerly of the iconic pop group SMAP, Fuji TV and other networks removed him from programming, either replacing shows or editing out his appearances.

There is difficulty in dealing with suspicions surrounding sexual issues, which involve a high degree of privacy and where the factual relationships and power dynamics between the parties are not clear.

Nonetheless, the actions taken by the stations, which take seriously the possibility of human rights violations, are fundamentally desirable.

However, the rationale behind these programming decisions has not always been clear.

It is imperative that networks clearly articulate the basis for such actions and develop concrete ways to implement the human rights policies adopted in the wake of the Johnny Kitagawa sexual abuse scandal.

A survey of entertainment and media professionals conducted last year by the Social Research Action Chiki Lab revealed multiple accounts of sexual exploitation, with one respondent reporting instances of program producers coercing female staff from subcontracted production companies into providing sexual services.

Given that these accounts may represent only the tip of the iceberg, there is a strong case for other networks to conduct their own internal reviews and investigations.

To ensure that everyone working in TV and the entertainment industry is respected as a human being, it is crucial to address and rectify any problematic customs or values. This is an opportunity to promote normalization and transparency within the industry.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Jan. 19

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