Photo/Illutration Masahiro Nakai in February 2020 (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Lawyers representing former TV personality Masahiro Nakai have objected to an investigative panel’s conclusion that Nakai inflicted sexual violence against a Fuji Television Network Inc. announcer.

Nakai’s lawyers also called on the third-party committee, which was set up by Fuji TV and its parent company, Fuji Media Holdings Inc., to disclose related evidence.

The five lawyers announced on May 12 that they notified lawyer Akira Takeuchi, who chairs the committee, of their position in a statement dated the same day.

In a report released March 31, the committee recognized that the announcer suffered sexual violence from Nakai on June 2, 2023, in a situation that was seen as a “continuation” of her job. The woman later left Fuji TV.

The committee used the World Health Organization’s definition of “sexual violence.”

The WHO defines sexual violence as “any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual comments or advances, or acts to traffic or otherwise directed against a person’s sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting, including but not limited to home and work.”

It says coercion can encompass “varying degrees of force,” “psychological intimidation,” “blackmail” or “threats.”

Nakai’s lawyers countered that they did not confirm any “violent or coercive sexual acts, which are generally associated with the Japanese word ‘seiboryoku’ (sexual violence),” after interviewing their client and studying related materials.

They called the committee’s recognition based on the WTO’s “broad definition” of sexual violence “extremely problematic,” saying it “lacked neutrality and fairness and seriously damaged an individual’s reputation and social standing.”

The lawyers also had a dispute with the committee over a confidentiality agreement that Nakai and the woman concluded when they reached a settlement.

According to the committee’s report, the panel asked lawyers for the two parties to cancel the agreement, but Nakai’s side refused while the woman’s side agreed.

The report noted that Nakai’s side said he would not discuss issues covered by the confidentiality agreement during the committee’s hearing.

Nakai’s lawyers said on May 12 that Nakai initially proposed canceling the agreement but the committee said it was not directly investigating what occurred when he was alone with the woman.

In addition, they said that Nakai attended the committee’s hearing for six hours but that the panel’s report did not reflect most of his statements.

Takeuchi’s office declined The Asahi Shimbun’s request for an interview. Fuji TV and Fuji Media Holdings said they will refrain from commenting.

A lawyer for the woman said she had no comment on the statement from Nakai’s lawyers.

The victim’s lawyer asked media organizations to give special consideration to concerns that the woman may face a new round of defamatory or malicious attacks based on speculation.

Allegations of Nakai’s sexual misconduct were first reported by weekly magazines in December.

In a statement posted on his website on Jan. 9, Nakai acknowledged that there was “trouble” with the woman and that a settlement had been reached.

TV networks dropped Nakai from some programs and scrapped other programs altogether.

Nakai announced on Jan. 23 that he was retiring from the entertainment industry, saying he was entirely responsible for the scandal. 

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