While NHK took the initiative in reporting the sexual misconduct of a Johnny’s celebrity appearing on its program, which in turn boosted NHK’s credibility, Fuji Television is on the verge of collapse after its cover-up of Masahiro Nakai’s troubles was exposed. Why has there been such a sharp divide between the two? It is said that Fuji Television is too anachronistic. A former Bunshun reporter reveals the other side of the story. This article is an excerpt from Shinichiro Akaishi’s “Why Only Shukanzai Can Produce a Series of Scoops: Behind the Scandals as Seen by a Former Bunshun Reporter” (Heibonsha). The reason why Nakai’s scandal generated so much interest, along with the fact that he was a national celebrity, was probably due to the fact that the scandal contained so many mysteries . Due to confidentiality, the full extent of the trouble is still unknown. The only thing that is known is that an unwanted sexual act took place at Nakai’s home. The TV station is a world where one cannot go against those with real power. Nakai is a major player in the industry, and Mr. A, the then senior programming executive who is said to have brought the two together, is also a powerful figure at Fuji Television. It is said that a young woman was preyed upon within this structure, and that is the summary of the incident. As a former weekly journalist, I was curious as to whether or not the person under suspicion would speak in his or her own words when the scandal broke. When apologizing, it is a sign of sincerity to stand out in the open and speak in one’s own words. On the other hand, not being able to come out and talk about it may be taken to mean that there is a good reason for it. In other words, it is tantamount to admitting that he had a guilty conscience that he could not explain. The same reason is believed to be the reason why commercial broadcasters made a press conference a condition when the issue of Matsumoto Hitoshi’s comeback surfaced.
It is said that Nakai’s habit is to say, “I am above the clouds. Although these words cannot be taken either jokingly or seriously, he may have become the “king of nakedness” by becoming a major figure in the TV world, just like his friend Hitoshi Matsumoto. ● Exchanging contact information with high school girls through NHK staff When I read the Weekly Bunshun article, I was reminded of an incident I once covered. The structure of the case was extremely similar, although I will remain anonymous here because the case is already socially sanctioned and in the past, although everyone is familiar with Z, a famous Japanese celebrity. I will recount the incident from my interview notes at the time. The incident occurred in February 2018; Z was the host of an NHK program featuring minors; Z called a female performer to his apartment and attacked her. The victim was a female high school student. The victim ran away from the room and immediately reported the incident to the police. A person involved in NHK’s production said, “The underage performers were asked to give their parents’ consent. The underage performers are performing with the consent of their parents. That is why NHK had prohibited the exchange of LINEs and other contact information between performers. However, Z and the high school girl were connected because they exchanged contact information through a staff member. The most important thing to remember is that the staff members are the intermediaries, just like in the case of the Nakai trouble. The most important thing to remember is that the best way to get the most out of your home is to make sure that you have the best possible experience. It was said that Z was also looking for co-hosts. It was a kind of “female introduction system” in which the staff would act in accordance with Z’s wishes. NHK’s program had already gained a bad reputation as a “blind date” program, and idol groups such as AKB48 and Nogizaka 46 are said to have chosen to withdraw from the program at some point. The difference between NHK and Fuji TV was that the Z case came to light through NHK’s coverage. In the memo of the interview at that time, the following was written about NHK’s behind-the-scenes efforts.