Former TV personality Nakai's lawyer disputes panel's report on 'sexual assault'
The lawyer said violence and forceful sexual conduct, which the term "sexual assault" suggests, has not been confirmed.
The lawyer said the panel's report lacks impartiality and fairness, and is extremely problematic. Nakai's representative issued a statement calling on the panel to disclose the relevant evidence and provide an explanation.
Nakai was a member of the disbanded pop idol group SMAP. He became popular as a TV emcee and actor. He retired from show business in January after the scandal came out at the end of last year.
A weekly magazine broke the story that Nakai had gotten into trouble with a former Fuji TV employee and paid a settlement.
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Japan Times
29 minutes ago
- Japan Times
A prophesied disaster (likely) won't strike Japan this weekend
Life as we know it will probably not come to an end in Japan this weekend. But what if it does? That's the question consuming a disaster-prone country ahead of a widely spread prediction of disaster that one comic book suggests will occur this Saturday. "Watashi ga Mita Mirai" ("The Future I Saw"), a manga by Ryo Tatsuki about her purported ability to see the future in dreams, was first published in 1999. It would have faded into obscurity but for the mention of a tsunami and the cover that read "Major disaster in March 2011.' Years later, when the most powerful earthquake ever to hit the country struck that very month, triggering a devastating tsunami and the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant meltdown, some hailed the author as a prophet. In 2021, she released an updated version that included a new prediction of disaster on July 5, 2025, involving a massive eruption in the Philippine Sea that triggers a tsunami striking Japan with waves three times the height of 2011. Such a disaster would obviously be devastating on a human level. But already, the comic has had an economic impact, with some tourists from Hong Kong and elsewhere in Asia shunning trips out of fear. Takahide Kiuchi, executive economist at the Nomura Research Institute, estimates that ¥560 billion ($3.9 billion) of economic damage could result if tourists continue to stay away due to this and other projections of doom. As July 5 approaches, it's becoming more talked about domestically; I've been asked about it in bars and overheard its mention in coffee shops. A series of hundreds of relatively small quakes off the southern island of Kyushu over the last two weeks has kept disaster in the headlines. The manga has sold over 1 million copies, while another book by Tatsuki is topping the charts. Get your facts straight, every day In a time of information overload and misinformation, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. Help us get the story right. For a limited time, we're offering a discounted subscription plan. Unlimited access US$30 US$18 /mo FOREVER subscribe NOW Of course, despite advances in tectonic science, earthquakes can't be predicted. The Meteorological Agency has taken to social media to caution that "any such predictions should be considered unreliable.' But that message is muddled by the fact that the agency and the government believe that harbingers of the dreaded Nankai Trough megaquake can be detected. That resulted in a chilling official announcement last year about the elevated risk of a disaster that is estimated to kill as many as 300,000 people. That episode briefly had much of the country on edge. The next day, the country's earthquake early warning alert was triggered, an automated signal that gives notice of an imminent big quake, piped straight to smartphones and trains. Sitting with colleagues in a bustling bar on Friday evening, the chill that went through the room was palpable as dozens of phones blared shrill messages of EARTHQUAKE! EARTHQUAKE! and we wondered if this was, indeed, the end. Nothing happened. The alert was a false alarm. There's something to be said for keeping people on their toes: While mercifully the Nankai quake did not hit last year, the threat remains undiminished. The government's alert prompted many (myself included) to prepare or restock disaster supplies, with Japan's rice shortage partly blamed on the spike in demand it caused. But caution quickly turns to complacency. The idea that we can predict the future is an attractive one, promising certainty in an uncertain world. That helps overcome the litany of failed prophecies, from Nostradamus's warnings in 1999 to the Maya doomsday theories in 2012. Some that do turn out to be true — think the 1988 Japanese animated movie "Akira's" prediction that Tokyo would host the 2020 Olympics — are just examples of survivor bias. We forget those that don't come to pass, remembering only those that do, presumably including Tatsuki's 2011 reference. But when it comes to Japan, past predictions of doom — such as a "hidden planet' Nibiru crashing into Earth, or a supermassive black hole at the galaxy's center causing havoc — aren't good comparisons. A catastrophe not dissimilar to the one Tatsuki describes really could take place at any time — July 5, or any day before or after. Indeed, according to government estimates for the Nankai Trough quake, it's more likely than not to happen in our lifetimes. Nonetheless, even in Japan many are still taken by surprise. Media focus on major disasters such as a quake hitting directly under Tokyo can lure those elsewhere into a false sense of security. Few, including the operators of the Fukushima nuclear plant, were sufficiently prepared for a quake off the coast in 2011 — despite extensive records showing past disasters. On July 5, when nothing happens, what then? My guess is most will just shrug and move on, perhaps a little embarrassed for having believed it or a little better prepared than they otherwise would have been. People might turn on Tatsuki, who has already distanced herself from the exact date. She may pop up again with another prediction — or fade back into obscurity. Regardless, the message that we should prepare for disaster is one we should listen to. In all probability, the earthquake won't happen on July 5. But it will happen sometime. That's a warning we should all heed. Gearoid Reidy is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Japan and the Koreas.
Japan Times
an hour ago
- Japan Times
Ex-Sumitomo Mitsui Trust official guilty of insider trading
The Tokyo District Court on Friday sentenced a former employee of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank to two years in prison, suspended for four years, for engaging in insider stock trading through the abuse of tender offer information before disclosure. In his trial, presided by Judge Reiko Kaihatsu, Hajime Katayama, 55, former chief of the bank's second stock transfer agency business department, was also fined ¥2 million and ordered to pay ¥61.4 million in additional penalties for his violation of the financial instruments and exchange law. The fines were in line with the demand by public prosecutors, who had sought a two-year prison sentence. The defendant "undermined financial market fairness and soundness by taking advantage of his position for his own benefits," the judge said. "There is no room for leniency in his motive of saving ¥20 million for his post-retirement life," the judge concluded. The judge refused the defense's request for a reduction in the additional penalty. "This cannot be treated as an exceptional case, because there are no particular circumstances that need to be taken into consideration," the judge said. Meanwhile, the judge suspended the sentence since Katayama had turned himself in and showed an attitude that he was reflecting on his actions. Katayama was dismissed in November 2024 after he reported his fraudulent stock transactions to the bank in late October the same year. The defendant purchased a total of some 25,900 shares in three firms for about ¥32.1 million between December 2022 and August 2024, based on tender offer information he acquired through his work, according to the verdict.
NHK
an hour ago
- NHK
Museum to open showcasing Japanese TV presenter Kuroyanagi Tetsuko's collection
A museum exhibiting costumes worn and items collected by famous Japanese actor and TV presenter Kuroyanagi Tetsuko is set to open in the central Japanese resort town of Karuizawa on Saturday. The design of the museum building in Nagano Prefecture was inspired by her trademark onion-shaped hairstyle and includes an observation deck. About 320 of her former belongings will be on display. In a preview held on Friday, items on display included a dress designed by the late Mori Hanae, a renowned Japanese fashion designer, as well as a kimono and artworks from both Japan and abroad. Visitors can also view a portrait of Kuroyanagi in her 20s. The foundation that operates the museum said it took about seven years to bring the project to life, honoring Kuroyanagi's wish to preserve her collection for future generations. Around 2,000 items she donated to the foundation will be exhibited on a rotating basis. Kuroyanagi told reporters that she has been visiting Karuizawa since she was a child, so it feels nostalgic. She described her childhood as a period when beautiful or novel things were not available. She said collecting and treasuring things can only be done in times of peace, adding that she hopes that the visitors will appreciate the beauty of the items on display.
