President Admits Failure, Criticism Mounts, Labor Unrest Grows

A Scandal and Its Aftermath

Fuji Television Network Inc. is facing a major crisis following a scandal involving celebrity Masahiro Nakai. Nakai, 52, retired from the entertainment industry on January 23, 2023, after being accused of causing trouble at a dinner party.

The scandal has led to widespread criticism of Fuji Television's handling of the situation. President Koichi Minato held a news conference on January 17, 2023, where he denied any involvement by Fuji Television executives in the incident. However, many employees felt that the news conference was vague and did not address their concerns.

On January 23, 2023, Minato held a briefing for employees where he admitted that the news conference was a "failure." He also apologized for the company's role in the scandal. The briefing lasted for four and a half hours and was attended by over 420 employees.

The scandal has also led to a surge in membership in the company's labor union. At the beginning of the week, the union had about 80 members. By January 23, 2023, membership had topped 500.

Fuji Media group has set up a third-party committee to investigate the scandal. The committee will also investigate whether the company played a role in the incident.

The scandal has caused anxiety among employees, particularly younger ones. They fear that they will be the ones who suffer the most from the crisis.