The Fuji TV scandal: From sexual assault to corporate disaster

This article examines the 2024–2025 scandal at Japan’s Fuji Television, in which a sexual assault allegation against celebrity host Nakai Masahiro exposed deep dysfunction in the broadcaster’s corporate culture and governance. It analyzes how the story – initially ignored by mainstream media – was broken by tabloid magazines and amplified by foreign press and social media, bypassing the gatekeeping mechanisms that normally protect powerful institutions in Japan. The article shows how Fuji TV’s attempts at public damage control backfired, triggering an unprecedented advertiser exodus, a damning third-party investigation, and lawsuits against former executives. It also reveals how the scandal laid bare the systemic exploitation of women in Japan’s broadcasting industry, sparking an online #MeToo movement in which women shared their own experiences of workplace harassment. The article asks whether this crisis marks a genuine turning point for accountability and gender equality in Japanese media, or whether it will fade as previous scandals have.