Japanese TV network Fuji faces mass advertiser exodus after allegations of covering up sexual assault claims against host Masahiro Nakai of SMAP fame.

One of Japan’s biggest pop stars and best-known TV hosts, Masahiro Nakai, announced his retirement Thursday, Jan. 23, over sexual misconduct allegations, reports said, in the latest scandal to rock Japan’s entertainment industry.

Japanese television presenter Masahiro Nakai, who is currently embroiled in a sexual assault scandal, announced on Thursday that he was retiring from the entertainment industry. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

Japan’s Fuji TV is facing criticism over its handling of alleged sexual misconduct by celebrity TV host and actor Masahiro Nakai, which have sent its parent’s share price tumbling in recent weeks. A group representing investors associated with U.

Major sponsors such as carmakers Nissan and Toyota and the owner of 7-Eleven announced they were pulling ads from Fuji TV over the scandal.

As J-pop superstar and TV host Masahiro Nakai announces his retirement over sexual misconduct allegations, AFP looks at recent scandals in Japan's media and entertainment industry:

Former star of J-pop band SMAP Masahiro Nakai resigned after several damning reports and suspicions that broadcasting giant Fuji TV covered up the assault case. The scandal is part of a wave of sexual assault cases hitting the Japanese entertainment industry.

Japanese TV host Masahiro Nakai, one of the country's most recognisable faces on television, has announced that he is retiring after a sexual assault allegation that has rocked the country's entertainment industry. Nakai, who presented for Fuji Television, was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a 2023 dinner party held by staff.

One of Japan's biggest pop stars and best-known TV hosts, Masahiro Nakai, announced his retirement Thursday over sexual misconduct allegations, reports said, in the latest scandal to rock Japan's entertainment industry.

Masahiro Nakai, one of Japan's biggest boy band stars and a celebrity television host, announced his retirement on Thursday after being accused of sexual misconduct, Japanese media reported.

Masahiro Nakai's move comes after now-defunct boy band empire Johnny & Associates admitted in 2023 that its late founder Johnny Kitagawa for decades sexually assaulted teenage boys and young men.