One of the most famous television personalities in Japan, Masahiro Nakai, has announced his retirement following a sexual assault accusation that shook the nation’s entertainment sector.
Nakai, a Fuji Television presenter, was charged with sexually assaulting a lady during a staff dinner party in 2023.
Due to allegations that Fuji Television employees attempted to conceal the issue, dozens of businesses have withdrawn their advertisements from the network.
In a social media statement posted on Thursday, Nakai said that he was “truly sorry for causing trouble and losses to so many people”.
“I’m really, really sorry for saying good-bye this way.”

Nakai denied abusing the woman and claimed to have “resolved” the issue with her through a payment on January 9. However, this did little to calm the public’s ire.
His resignation follows days after Koichi Minato, the president of Fuji Television, acknowledged that the business knew about Nakai’s incident long before it was publicised, but failed to reveal it.
Companies that declared they were removing their advertising from Fuji Television due to the controversy included automakers Nissan and Toyota, as well as Seven & I Holdings, the firm that owns the network of 7-Eleven convenience stores.
It is anticipated that Fuji Television would form an impartial committee to look into the controversy.

Additionally, Nakai’s appearances have been removed from shows.
Nakai soared to stardom in the 1990s as the leader of Japanese boy band SMAP, one of Asia’s most successful acts. The group released more than 50 singles – many of which became chart toppers – and launched a weekly variety show on prime-time television.