Danica Davidson
February 27, 2025 
The sexual assault scandal that hit Fuji TV continues to make international news, and women’s rights advocates in Japan are hoping this means some real change is happening.
This all started after it was revealed that Fuji TV host (and former idol) Masahiro Nakai had been accused of sexually assaulting a woman, and the president of Fuji TV knew this but ignored it. After the news broke, Nakai retired and many sponsors pulled their funding from the channel, including Toyota, Nissan, and the Japanese government.
Keiko Kojima, whose background is as a TV presenter, remarked, “If this had happened 10 years ago, there would not have been this outcry.” Describing her own experiences with harassment in the industry, she went on, “It was common for men to make rude comments about women’s bodies or appearance or age. . . I saw sexual harassment and other forms of derogatory treatment of women on a daily basis. For a woman, adapting to these situations was the only way to become a full-fledged TV or media professional.”
Minori Kitahara and other survivors go out publicly one day every month to spread awareness on the issue of sexual assault. She said about the sponsors dropping Fuji TV, “Even if it’s more of self-preservation than human rights for sponsors, this is a turning point for the MeToo movement in Japan. It’s up to us how big we make it.”
Kojima also remarked, “The TV industry has long neglected the issue of exploitation and violence and has not dealt with the victims properly. If the root of the problem doesn’t change, the same will happen again.”
A 2024 study from the International Journal of Asian Studies reports that there are ten to twenty convictions for every 1,000 rapes that take place in Japan. Even with a conviction, more than half the perpetrators manage never to be behind bars. For a comparison to what goes on in America, NBC reported last month that, “Less than 4% of reported rapes, sexual assaults, and child sex abuse allegations in certain cities across the United States ever result in a sex crime conviction.” That would mean America has a slightly higher conviction rate.
Source: BBC
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
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