Koichi Minato #

Introduction #

Koichi Minato is a Japanese media executive who served as president of Fuji Television, one of Japan’s biggest networks, until his resignation on 27 January 2025 in the wake of the sexual misconduct scandal surrounding TV host Masahiro Nakai. Minato and Fuji TV chairman Shuji Kano announced their resignations at a press conference shortly after an emergency board meeting, bowing as they apologised to viewers and stakeholders for the trouble and anxiety caused. “I feel deeply the weight of my responsibility for undermining trust in the media,” Minato said. “Looking back, I realise there were shortcomings in our response.” The resignations came weeks after the network became the focus of public anger over its handling of allegations against Nakai, including that it had known of the alleged incident but chose not to disclose it.

Background Information #

Minato led Fuji Television, a flagship network of the Fuji Media Holdings group and one of Japan’s principal commercial broadcasters. Under his presidency the network aired several shows fronted by Masahiro Nakai, a former member of boy band SMAP and a household name in Japan. Fuji TV’s corporate governance came into question during the scandal after investment firm Rising Sun Management, the majority shareholder of the network’s parent company, wrote in an open letter that the scandal “exposes serious flaws in your corporate governance”. The Japanese government also entered the fray, calling on Fuji TV to regain trust from viewers and sponsors.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation #

The crisis centred on allegations that Nakai, who presented shows for Fuji Television, had sexually assaulted a woman at a 2023 dinner party allegedly organised by Fuji TV staff. Nakai denied using violence against the woman and said he had “resolved” the matter with her through a settlement, but this did little to quell public anger. Minato had admitted previously that the company knew about the allegation against Nakai shortly after the alleged incident took place, but said Fuji TV chose not to disclose it at the time because it “prioritised the woman’s physical and mental recovery as well as the protection of her privacy”. Reports emerged in December that Nakai had paid the unnamed woman more than half a million dollars, and further allegations then surfaced that a Fuji TV employee had helped to arrange the dinner party. The network was criticised for trying to cover up the scandal, and the failure to disclose what it knew became the immediate source of pressure on Minato’s leadership.

Public Reaction and Consequences #

Dozens of companies pulled their advertisements from Fuji TV as the scandal grew, with car manufacturers Nissan and Toyota among those that withdrew advertising. The network suspended the weekly show hosted by Nakai earlier in January, and other major networks dropped the presenter as well. Rising Sun Management, speaking as majority shareholder of Fuji TV’s parent company, said in its open letter that the scandal “exposes serious flaws in your corporate governance”. The Japanese government called on the broadcaster to regain trust from viewers and sponsors. On 27 January 2025, shortly after an emergency board meeting, Minato and chairman Shuji Kano bowed as they announced their resignations, apologising to viewers and stakeholders for the trouble and anxiety caused by a scandal that had rocked Japan’s entertainment industry. “I feel deeply the weight of my responsibility for undermining trust in the media,” Minato told the press conference, adding: “Looking back, I realise there were shortcomings in our response.”

Current Status #

Minato’s resignation took effect following the 27 January 2025 announcement, with executive vice president Kenji Shimizu named to replace him as president. Shimizu said he would “never tolerate acts that violate human rights” and committed to preventing similar incidents by “starting from scratch”. Fuji TV has since set up an independent committee to investigate the scandal. The controversy extended beyond Fuji, as other TV networks announced their own investigations following reports that similar dinner parties involving celebrities were a common practice in the industry.

Impact on Their Career/Life #

The scandal ended Minato’s tenure as president of one of Japan’s biggest television networks and also claimed the chairmanship of Shuji Kano, making the pair the most senior casualties of a case that reached from a single alleged incident to the governance of a major media group. The advertiser pullout — with dozens of companies including Nissan and Toyota withdrawing commercials — and shareholder criticism placed sustained commercial pressure on the network’s leadership, culminating in the emergency board meeting and dual resignation. His departure, alongside the installation of Kenji Shimizu and an independent investigation, marked one of the most consequential leadership changes in Japanese broadcasting in recent years, and the case contributed to a broader reckoning in Japan’s entertainment industry over sexual assault and how networks respond to it.