Pallade Veneta - Japan's Fuji TV bosses resign over sexual assault scandal

Criticism has mounted from advertisers and the public over the scandal, which centres around TV host and J-pop megastar Masahiro Nakai.

A leading tabloid magazine reported last month that the 52-year-old Nakai had carried out a sexual act without a woman's consent in 2023.

Nakai reportedly later paid the woman, who worked for Fuji TV, a lump sum of 90 million yen ($570,000) and the pair signed a non-disclosure agreement.

As pressure mounted, the broadcaster announced Monday that Fuji TV president Koichi Minato and chairman Shuji Kanoh were stepping down.

A growing number of top advertisers pulled their commercials from the network after staff were accused of trying to cover up the scandal.

Earlier this month, Minato admitted that the broadcaster was aware of the scandal before it was reported by local media.

The company has denied claims that its staff were involved in organising Nakai's meeting with the woman, which allegedly took place at the star's home.

Nakai -- a former member of the boy band SMAP, which swept charts across Asia in the 1990s and 2000s -- announced his retirement on Friday after he was dropped from weekly shows on Fuji TV and other channels.

"I alone am responsible for everything" and "sincerely apologise", Nakai said Friday.

He had previously issued a statement saying some of what had been reported was "different from the facts".

- 'Outraged' -

Dozens of brands, including McDonald's and Toyota, have pulled adverts from Fuji TV, leaving only unpaid public service announcements playing during commercial breaks.

The scandal follows another huge reckoning for Japan's entertainment industry, involving now-defunct boy band empire Johnny & Associates, to which SMAP belonged.

Johnny & Associates, which has now changed its name, admitted in 2023 that its late founder Johnny Kitagawa had sexually assaulted teenage boys and young men for decades.

The allegations against Nakai emerged last month. The tabloid reports shocked the nation, even as most other Japanese media have more cautiously referred to the allegations as sexual "trouble" or misconduct.

Some reports say staff at Fuji TV -- and other channels -- have long wined and dined entertainers, inviting women staff to join such parties.

Network president Minato held a short press conference on January 17, after US activist investor Rising Sun Management said it was "outraged" by Fuji TV's lack of transparency.

But the public relations attempt backfired after only select media were invited, video recording was not allowed and Minato declined to answer many questions, citing a fresh investigation.

Rising Sun Management, a shareholder in the station's parent company, has called on the network to establish a committee of outside experts, describing Minato's press briefing as "nothing less than a virtual car crash".

Fuji Television is a major private broadcaster that boasted the highest viewer ratings in the 1980s and early 1990s with its soap operas and popular comedy and variety shows.

It aired Japan's first domestically produced animation "Astro Boy" in 1963, and has also produced several films, including Hirokazu Kore-eda's "Shoplifters" which won the 2018 Palme d'Or at Cannes.

F.Dodaro--PV