Recently, in Japan, another layer of sexual misconduct against women was unveiled when the Chairman & the head of the company’s TV unit was charged with sexual misconduct. On 27th January, Reuters reported that the Fuji Media Chairman, Shuji Kanoh, & the head of the TV unit, Koichi Minato, will vacant their office amidst sexual misconduct charges by a celebrity TV host. Further, the company announced an independent investigation by a third-party committee comprising three lawyers.
However, it is yet to be seen whether these steps will be able to quell the call for management overhaul by the company’s activist investors, which include U.S.-based Dalton Investments, its second-biggest stakeholder at 5.8% based on LSEG data, as well as Zennor Asset Management, a UK-based fund which holds just over 1%.
This raised concerns about the growing rate of exploitation against women in Japan’s media industry. Lately, Masahiro Nakai, a TV host and leader of the former boy band SMAP, was charged with sexual misconduct.
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According to the Japanese magazine Shukan Bunshun, one of the executives of Nakai had organised a separate event at a hotel, bringing together female TV personalities to entertain Nakai and other celebrities. Nakai, 52, has since apologised on his fan website for causing “trouble” and announced his retirement from show business. While he acknowledged settling with another party, he has not directly addressed the allegations.
The magazine further mentioned the incident when a woman was invited to Nakia’s residence for dinner and was forced into a sexual act with Masahiro Nakai.
