TOKYO (TR) – Last week, a third-party panel released the results of an investigation into Fuji Television Network Inc. and the ongoing scandal at the broadcaster that began with allegations of sexual misconduct against former host Masahiro Nakai.
On March 31, the third-party panel pointed out in its findings that problems within the network went beyond those involving Nakai, saying “harassment was widespread throughout the company.”
Among the other incidents singled out involved another presenter, Osamu Sorimachi, the host of “Prime News.” On the night of the day of the release of the report, Sorimachi did not appear on the program, reports Nikkan Sports (Mar. 31).
Instead, Misato Nagano and Beni Takemata appeared side by side. Nagano explained, “In the report, the third-party committee pointed out that there were problems with Fuji TV’s corporate governance. The report also pointed out that there were problems with Fuji TV’s response to the case of anchor Sorimachi. Anchor Sorimachi requested that he refrain from appearing on the program in light of the situation. In response to this, BS Fuji and Prime News will hosted tonight by me, Nagano, and anchor Takemata.”
Sorimachi resigned as a director of Fuji TV on March 27.
Harassment of two women
According to the third-party committee report, Sorimachi committed harassment against two women between 2006 and 2008. He invited one employee to dinner one-on-one on multiple occasions.
He also invited her on a drive on his day off, whereby they went to eat tuna in the town of Misaki, Kanagawa Prefecture to watch fireworks. They then went to a horror movie at a movie theater in Yokohama. He also took her to bars.
After that, when she started to turn down his invitations, he yelled at her over the phone and used intimidating language to harass her, the panel determined.
The second case involved another employee. Around 2007-2008, he began inviting her to dinner one-on-one. At one point, he would send her emails on his days off asking her to send him pictures of what she was doing. When she refused, he began harassing her. He would send unjustified reprimands to the entire department, such as “your manuscripts are slow.” He also made unclear reprimands over the phone, according to the panel.
The two women later consulted with their superiors. Sorimachi admitted to the harassment and was verbally warned. But the two women were not aware that he had been warned, which caused them to not be satisfied with the response.
The matter was also reported in weekly tabloid Shukan Bunshun in 2018, but no appropriate action was taken within the company. Sorimachi subsequently apologized to the two women.
The third-party committee condemned the news department’s response as “a manifestation of an organizational tendency to cover up the harassment itself in an attempt to resolve it.”
Masahiro Nakai
The scandal began in December, when several tabloids reported that Nakai, 52, had engaged in sexual misconduct with a woman he took to dinner in June 2023.
However, the report released on March 31 also said that the actions of Nakai constituted sexual assault.
According to the report, the woman agreed to meet Nakai for dinner on the assumption others would attend. However, it became clear that only he would be the only other person at the dinner, which was held at his home. She said that she could not cancel the invitation since there may have been a negative impact on her career.
Several days later, she told doctors at work about the incident. Over the next two months, she was hospitalized. During this time, she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. She wanted to return to work but wound up leaving the company the next year.
Nakai also asked an employee at the broadcaster to give 1 million yen to the woman as consolation money while she was in the hospital. However, she refused to accept it. The report said that this “could be evaluated as a form of secondary abuse.”
The report also revealed another incident involving Nakai that took place in 2021. In that case, he requested that a male talent and two female announcers gather for a meeting. Nakai then touched the female announcers’ knees and shoulders and put his face close to them, which the third-party committee recognized as sexual harassment.
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