Latest news with #Nakai
Asahi Shimbun
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Asahi Shimbun
Women in broadcasting feel at the mercy of male bigwigs
The main building of Fuji Television Network Inc. in Tokyo's Minato Ward (Asahi Shimbun file photo) An independent investigative panel's report about rampant sexual harassment and abuse at a TV broadcaster was described by some media outlets as 'shocking.' But for one woman in her 30s, the report's details revealed nothing new. In fact, it brought back memories of her own horrible experiences as a TV announcer. 'Reading the panel's report left me heavy-hearted,' said the woman who formerly worked for a major TV network. 'This was just like what happened to me.' The report resonated with many women who have experience in the broadcasting industry. The panel of legal experts was commissioned by Fuji Television Network Inc. to look into allegations that TV celebrity Masahiro Nakai engaged in sexual misconduct against a TV announcer. The report, released in March, concluded that Nakai sexually assaulted the woman. It also said sexual harassment and abuse were rife in Fuji TV working atmosphere, and female workers, including announcers, were expected to tolerate sexual advances from VIPs. The woman in her 30s who worked at a different Tokyo-based broadcaster said a well-known TV personality harassed her when she was in her second year at the company. At the tforime, she appeared in a late-night entertainment show on an irregular basis. After each taping, a wrap-up party was held. She was always made to sit next to him, and he constantly put his arm around her waist and gave her hugs. When the parties ended, she frantically did her best to avoid him. But staff members often tried to get her to take a taxi with him alone. One day, after the last show was recorded, she managed to catch a taxi alone. But she received a text message from the celebrity before she reached her apartment. 'Where are you now? Where is your place? I will be there,' the text said. The woman, flustered, replied: 'My place is so cluttered that there is no space for you to sit down.' His response was: 'I can do 'it' while standing in the entrance.' The woman was so shaken by the sexual insinuation that she did not reply. The following morning, when she told her boss about the text messages, he showed concern, saying, 'That must have been tough.' He promised to arrange her shifts so that she could avoid bumping into the celebrity when he visited the TV station. After the texting incident, however, she heard from multiple colleagues that she was expected to be cast as a new MC of a popular program bearing the TV personality's name because he had asked, but she had been removed from consideration at the last minute. She was also bypassed for roles in other programs. 'I was shocked as my work was disappearing,' the woman said. 'All I did was protect myself from sexual abuse.' She said she sometimes wonders even today whether she would have been better off if she had tolerated the celebrity's sexual advances. But her answer always comes back as 'no,' and she has no regrets, she added. The report about Fuji TV said the sexual assault against the woman occurred in June 2023 after the announcer attended a private dinner with Nakai as an 'extension' of her work. The victim told the panel she felt she had 'no choice but to go along with a bigwig in the entertainment industry,' given his clout in the broadcaster. She also feared she 'might not be cast in programs' if she refused to meet him, according to the report. LOST JOBS AFTER REJECTING TV HOST A magazine late last year broke the story about Nakai's 'misconduct.' A 28-year-old announcer with a local TV station said she initially wondered why the Fuji TV announcer did not take steps to avoid the danger and protect herself. But after reading the findings of the independent investigation, she said her view shifted. 'The same thing could have happened to me if I had been put in her situation,' the woman said. She said she is aware that 'professional skills alone are often not enough to land a role in popular shows.' She has witnessed numerous instances in which announcers in the good graces of the company's board members have been cast in prime programs. In hopes of advancing her own career, she has attended drinking parties with client companies on the request of the broadcaster's sales department. The woman said the Fuji TV victim, like her, worked hard with the goal of appearing in a certain program she had in mind. The Fuji TV announcer's drive was used to sexually exploit her, the woman said. The Fuji TV investigation committee described women in broadcasting as 'vulnerable' to sexual harassment due to a power imbalance. 'While they are employees of a broadcaster, they can appear in a program only after being cast by the program's producer, putting them in a position where they need to be selected,' the panel's report said. 'It is not surprising for female announcers hoping to be cast in a program to feel they are not equal to people with the authority to appoint,' the panel stated. These powerful people include officials in programming departments, producers, directors and TV show hosts, it said. MERIT-BASED HIRING Yasuhiro Kato, who runs a school for students aspiring to be TV announcers, said he focused on professional skills when he was in charge of the department of announcers at Mainichi Broadcasting System Inc. in Osaka. He insisted on having the final say on whether an announcer sought by a program production crew should actually get the assignment. 'I had repeatedly told the production staff that an announcer's job is to grab the hearts of viewers and listeners by the way they deliver the news. They must work hard for years to hone these skills,' he said. Kato suspects that viewers, not to mention influential executives, place the emphasis on the looks of women who read the news. He called for a change in the way society thinks of female professionals and the value of being young. (This article was written by Midori Iki and Saori Kuroda.)
The Mainichi
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
Japan's Fuji TV airs probe into own response over Nakai's alleged sex assault of announcer
TOKYO -- A program reviewing Fuji TV's own response to the alleged sexual harassment of a former announcer by ex-personality Masahiro Nakai was aired on the network on July 6. Tokyo-based Fuji Television Network Inc. (Fuji TV) aired the program examining its internal handling of an alleged sexual assault case involving Nakai, which a third-party committee has acknowledged as sexual violence against a former female announcer of the network. At the start of the program, Fuji TV President Kenji Shimizu offered a renewed apology, stating, "We deeply apologize for causing concern and trouble regarding human rights and compliance issues." The alleged incident occurred in June 2023. Former Fuji TV President Koichi Minato and former executive managing director Toru Ota, who initially addressed the issue, appeared on the program to testify regarding the mishandling of their internal response. The program detailed the third-party committee's investigative report, released at the end of March, which found that the woman had experienced "sexual violence in the course of work-related activities." Minato stated, "I want to apologize (to her). I caused her pain by failing to fully empathize with her feelings." According to the program, when Minato and others first received reports of the assault in August 2023, they classified it as a "private matter between a man and a woman" based on reasons including the woman having gone to Nakai's apartment, and afterward did not conduct fact-finding inquiries with Nakai himself. Additionally, the third-party committee criticized Fuji TV, stating that "harassment is pervasive throughout the entire company," and that numerous gatherings had taken place focusing on gender, age and appearance to forge good working relationships with program participants and performers. The program featured confirmation of these practices with Minato, Ota and others who held such meetings. A female announcer who participated in gatherings organized by Ota testified, "He would always say things like, 'Female announcers are like high-end nightclub hostesses. A good announcer is one who can sell well as a hostess.'" Ota responded during the program, "I personally don't remember saying that, but I don't deny it at all since she remembers those remarks." Another woman who attended Minato's gatherings described them as "abnormal meetings, gathering only young, attractive women who could entertain clients." Regarding the corporate culture behind the scandal, the program also covered the responsibilities of Hisashi Hieda, who served as director for more than 40 years. The third-party committee had pointed out the harm of Hieda's significant influence over executive appointments. Despite three requests, Hieda declined interviews for the program. The investigation instead relied on testimonies from former executives and highlighted that Hieda's continued control over personnel decisions weakened Fuji TV's corporate governance. Ryunosuke Endo, former vice chairperson and a confidant of Hieda, revealed a meeting that took place the day before lasting more than 10 hours of press conference held on Jan. 27, where he appealed to Hieda for about 40 minutes to resign. Endo recalled saying, "If you don't step down, the situation will never settle." Endo also pointed out the harmful influence of Hieda's longstanding authority, expressing concerns that "executives and department heads trying to win Mr. Hieda's favor negatively impact younger employees' motivation significantly." Nonetheless, Hieda reportedly refused, replying, "I won't quit. Are you quitting without a fight?" Former Fuji TV President Ko Toyoda, who served from 2007 to 2013, provided written testimony stating, "It is true that Mr. Hieda controlled both executive appointments and their compensation, demonstrating a failure in governance." The program further examined the former programming department chief who introduced Nakai to the female announcer involved. An employee who had worked with this former chief testified that he and Nakai were mahjong companions. He said their relationship was such that if Nakai called with an invitation, the former chief would "drop everything, even private commitments, to hurry to him." Another employee explained that the former programming chief's promotion was largely due to his success in producing hit shows in collaboration with influential talents like Nakai.
Malaysiakini
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Native land and soul: When will justice take root in S'wak?
LETTER | For too long, the soil of Sarawak has been rich with contradiction. It is a land of rivers and rainforests, of ancestral memory and spiritual depth - but also a land of encroachment, exploitation, and bureaucratic cruelty. Nowhere is this contradiction more painfully felt than in the long and unresolved battle over native customary rights (NCR) land. Recently, PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar added her voice to what Sarawak's indigenous communities have been crying out for, not for years, but for generations. In calling for an immediate halt to new licences issued over disputed lands and the expedition of surveys and legal ownership titles, she speaks not merely as a politician, but as a Malaysian with a conscience. Her words cut to the heart of the matter: 'Land is more than just a place to live. It is part of their soul and identity.' That soul, however, has been eroded, piece by piece, hectare by hectare - while court victories ring hollow, and elderly men and women die waiting for land titles that never come. A decade on the bureaucratic treadmill Take the case of Mary anak Nakai (not her real name), someone personally known to me. For the past 10 years, this middle-aged Bidayuh woman has made the long trek from her kampung to various Land and Survey Department offices - from Kota Samarahan to the towering Menara Pelita in Petra Jaya. She carries a neatly bound folder of letters, old maps, and hope - hoping that 'this visit' will be the one where someone finally tells her, 'Yes, puan, your land grant is approved.' But each visit ends with the same bureaucratic riddle. One officer tells her the file is 'under review.' Another says it's 'with the legal unit.' The next time, the officer in charge is 'at a meeting.' If not in a meeting, then 'on duty outside.' Sometimes, there's the cryptic 'we cannot locate your file'. And the cycle goes on. Nakai now refers to the actual decision-maker as 'the ghost officer' or 'pegawai hantu' - ever-present in theory, but never seen in reality. Only when Nakai arrives, the 'hantu officer' (ghost officer) has a meeting and cannot be disturbed. Her story, as she told me, is tragically familiar. Across Sarawak, countless NCR land applicants like Nakai have spent decades navigating red tape, only to die landless on land their families have lived on for generations. Forgotten rights, forgotten lives Names like Harrison Ngau and the late Bill Kayong are now etched into the legacy of resistance. Kayong, shot dead in broad daylight in 2016, remains a martyr for the cause of NCR land. His killers may have faced justice, but the system that emboldens land grabs has yet to be dismantled. Their struggle was not merely about court documents; it was about honouring the covenant between a people and their land. It was about saying: 'We were here, we are here, and we have the right to stay.' Numbers mask a deeper injustice Deputy Premier Awang Tengah Ali Hasan recently reported that over 1.2 million hectares have been surveyed under the New NCR Land Survey Initiative since 2010, with nearly 936,000ha gazetted as Bumiputera Communal Reserves under Section 6 of the Sarawak Land Code. On paper, these numbers seem promising. But statistics don't show the heartbreak. They don't reflect the speed at which bulldozers have cleared sacred forests while villagers wait years just to have their land claims recognised. They don't show the faces of the elderly being told - yet again - to 'come back next week.' And communal reserves are not the same as individual titles. Section 6 gives temporary security. Section 18 gives rightful ownership. That distinction means the world to the people living on that land. When law lags behind morality NCR is not merely a matter of administrative delay - it is a moral emergency. While state officials and companies profit from the spoils, communities are left navigating a legal labyrinth that too often leads nowhere. And though courts have recognised the legitimacy of native land based on 'adat' (customary law), enforcement remains inconsistent, and victories too often remain confined to courtroom transcripts, not real-life outcomes. It is one of the cruellest ironies of our modern federation: the Iban, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu, and Penan are treated as if they are squatters on their own ancestral land. Generations have been born and buried on these lands. Sacred grounds, burial sites, fruit groves, rivers, and hunting trails - all mapped in memory and tradition - have long constituted a living system of land tenure that predates any Sarawak Land Code. Yet, despite decades of promises and court affirmations, the land continues to be leased out to palm oil giants and timber tycoons with impunity. Often, this happens without consultation, without consent, and without even the courtesy of compensation. The result is not just legal ambiguity; it is cultural violence. A politician who knows That's what makes Nurul Izzah's intervention especially significant. Here is a politician from Putrajaya - far from the hills and rivers of Sarawak - who not only understands the law, but 'feels' the issue. Her call to action reflects rare empathy and clarity – as if she's telling Sarawakians, 'I hear you'. She cited heroes like Ngau and Kayong and reminded the nation that 'land is not just for living, but for worship, culture, and the soul.' To many Sarawakians, that sounds like the first time someone from Peninsular Malaysia truly gets it. Let the land be theirs again If the Sarawak government is sincere in its intentions, it must treat land rights not as a political concession but as a fundamental right. Expedite the surveys. Issue the titles. Halt all new licences on disputed land. Recognise the sacred and sovereign connection between a people and their land. To delay is to dispossess. To ignore is to erase. And to exploit is to colonise. Until then, people like Mary anak Nakai will keep catching buses, making appointments, and circling the same bureaucratic merry-go-round, no music, no horses, no joy - just hope, prayer, and the aching wait for someone to finally say: 'This land is your land.' The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
Malaysiakini
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Native land and soul: When will justice take root in S'wak?
LETTER | For too long, the soil of Sarawak has been rich with contradiction. It is a land of rivers and rainforests, of ancestral memory and spiritual depth - but also a land of encroachment, exploitation, and bureaucratic cruelty. Nowhere is this contradiction more painfully felt than in the long and unresolved battle over native customary rights (NCR) land. Recently, PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar added her voice to what Sarawak's indigenous communities have been crying out for, not for years, but for generations. In calling for an immediate halt to new licences issued over disputed lands and the expedition of surveys and legal ownership titles, she speaks not merely as a politician, but as a Malaysian with a conscience. Her words cut to the heart of the matter: 'Land is more than just a place to live. It is part of their soul and identity.' That soul, however, has been eroded, piece by piece, hectare by hectare - while court victories ring hollow, and elderly men and women die waiting for land titles that never come. A decade on the bureaucratic treadmill Take the case of Mary anak Nakai (not her real name), someone personally known to me. For the past 10 years, this middle-aged Bidayuh woman has made the long trek from her kampung to various Land and Survey Department offices - from Kota Samarahan to the towering Menara Pelita in Petra Jaya. She carries a neatly bound folder of letters, old maps, and hope - hoping that 'this visit' will be the one where someone finally tells her, 'Yes, puan, your land grant is approved.' But each visit ends with the same bureaucratic riddle. One officer tells her the file is 'under review.' Another says it's 'with the legal unit.' The next time, the officer in charge is 'at a meeting.' If not in a meeting, then 'on duty outside.' Sometimes, there's the cryptic 'we cannot locate your file'. And the cycle goes on. Nakai now refers to the actual decision-maker as 'the ghost officer' or 'pegawai hantu' - ever-present in theory, but never seen in reality. Only when Nakai arrives, the 'hantu officer' (ghost officer) has a meeting and cannot be disturbed. Her story, as she told me, is tragically familiar. Across Sarawak, countless NCR land applicants like Nakai have spent decades navigating red tape, only to die landless on land their families have lived on for generations. Forgotten rights, forgotten lives Names like Harrison Ngau and the late Bill Kayong are now etched into the legacy of resistance. Kayong, shot dead in broad daylight in 2016, remains a martyr for the cause of NCR land. His killers may have faced justice, but the system that emboldens land grabs has yet to be dismantled. Their struggle was not merely about court documents; it was about honouring the covenant between a people and their land. It was about saying: 'We were here, we are here, and we have the right to stay.' Numbers mask a deeper injustice Deputy Premier Awang Tengah Ali Hasan recently reported that over 1.2 million hectares have been surveyed under the New NCR Land Survey Initiative since 2010, with nearly 936,000ha gazetted as Bumiputera Communal Reserves under Section 6 of the Sarawak Land Code. On paper, these numbers seem promising. But statistics don't show the heartbreak. They don't reflect the speed at which bulldozers have cleared sacred forests while villagers wait years just to have their land claims recognised. They don't show the faces of the elderly being told - yet again - to 'come back next week.' And communal reserves are not the same as individual titles. Section 6 gives temporary security. Section 18 gives rightful ownership. That distinction means the world to the people living on that land. When law lags behind morality NCR is not merely a matter of administrative delay - it is a moral emergency. While state officials and companies profit from the spoils, communities are left navigating a legal labyrinth that too often leads nowhere. And though courts have recognised the legitimacy of native land based on 'adat' (customary law), enforcement remains inconsistent, and victories too often remain confined to courtroom transcripts, not real-life outcomes. It is one of the cruellest ironies of our modern federation: the Iban, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu, and Penan are treated as if they are squatters on their own ancestral land. Generations have been born and buried on these lands. Sacred grounds, burial sites, fruit groves, rivers, and hunting trails - all mapped in memory and tradition - have long constituted a living system of land tenure that predates any Sarawak Land Code. Yet, despite decades of promises and court affirmations, the land continues to be leased out to palm oil giants and timber tycoons with impunity. Often, this happens without consultation, without consent, and without even the courtesy of compensation. The result is not just legal ambiguity; it is cultural violence. A politician who knows That's what makes Nurul Izzah's intervention especially significant. Here is a politician from Putrajaya - far from the hills and rivers of Sarawak - who not only understands the law, but 'feels' the issue. Her call to action reflects rare empathy and clarity – as if she's telling Sarawakians, 'I hear you'. She cited heroes like Ngau and Kayong and reminded the nation that 'land is not just for living, but for worship, culture, and the soul.' To many Sarawakians, that sounds like the first time someone from Peninsular Malaysia truly gets it. Let the land be theirs again If the Sarawak government is sincere in its intentions, it must treat land rights not as a political concession but as a fundamental right. Expedite the surveys. Issue the titles. Halt all new licences on disputed land. Recognise the sacred and sovereign connection between a people and their land. To delay is to dispossess. To ignore is to erase. And to exploit is to colonise. Until then, people like Mary anak Nakai will keep catching buses, making appointments, and circling the same bureaucratic merry-go-round, no music, no horses, no joy - just hope, prayer, and the aching wait for someone to finally say: 'This land is your land.' The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
NDTV
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Japanese Woman Returns Home From Work, Finds Underwear-Clad Boss In Her Bed
The Japanese police have arrested a man after he was found lying in his employee's bed, only wearing his underwear. The unidentified woman in her 20s, from Japan's western Fukuoka Prefecture, had returned to home during lunch break to pick up some belongings when she discovered her boss on the bed in a compromising position. The woman calmly left the apartment, shut the door behind and immediately alerted the police. Authorities later arrested the man in the vicinity of her residence, according to a report in the South China Morning Post. The unidentified 47-year-old boss told the police during interrogation that he liked the woman and wanted to know more about her. However, it wasn't the first time he had sneaked into her room. The police are now investigating how he managed to get access and whether he may have installed any illegal surveillance devices. The woman had been completely unaware of any prior break-ins. The incident went viral on Japanese social media, with users demanding that authorities take strict action against the boss. 'I hope he did not go back to work like nothing had happened, and I hope the woman does not end up quitting her job,' said one user. Another added: "I think it was fortunate that she happened to go home to pick stuff up; otherwise she might have remained ignorant about the previous break-ins by her pervert boss and his behaviour would have become more dangerous," another said. Workplace harassment in Japan has become a much-discussed subject in recent times. In February, Japanese women started sharing their workplace harassment stories in the wake of Masahiro Nakai settling his sexual assault case. Nakai, a former member of the hugely popular boy band SMAP, allegedly sexually assaulted a woman at a private dinner that was arranged by a senior member of staff at Fuji TV, one of Japan's biggest broadcasters. The network came under scrutiny from workers who claimed that female employees were routinely pressured to "entertain" famous male celebrities. A Japanese equivalent of #MeToo called watashi ga taishoku shita hontou no riyuu (The real reason I quit my job) started trending on X (formerly Twitter) with women documenting their horrifying stories.
