Fuji Television Network, Inc. (Fuji TV) has announced the appointment of Kenji Shimizu, the legendary anime producer, as its new President and CEO. Shimizu is succeeding Hiroshi Minato, who resigned following the recent scandal involving Masahiro Nakai.
The announcement was made at a press conference on January 27, where Fuji Media Holdings (FMH), the parent company of Fuji TV, also announced the establishment of a third-party investigative committee. Chairman Shuji Kano also resigned.
Background on the Scandal
The controversy came after reports from Japanese tabloids of an incident in June 2023 involving Masahiro Nakai, one of the country’s most famous entertainers, and multiple women, which surfaced in December 2024. Nakai resigned from the entertainment industry earlier this month.
While Nakai has not publicly addressed the specifics, Fuji TV was also accused that some of its staff members facilitated these interactions (e.g., arranging meetings or covering up incidents). According to Mainichi, Nakai reached a 90 million yen (approximately $580,000) out-of-court settlement with a woman following nonconsensual sexual activity.
Fuji’s stakeholders complained and started pulling advertising from all their broadcasts, which quickly led to the top-level resignations, apologies, and future steps.
The incident raised questions about Fuji TV’s internal governance and compliance. FMH and Fuji TV responded by forming an independent Third-Party Committee in accordance with the Japan Federation of Bar Associations’ guidelines on corporate scandals. The committee, led by attorney Akira Takeuchi, will conduct a thorough investigation into the incident. Takeuchi made the following statement:
We are committed to conducting the investigation in strict compliance with the guidelines, fulfilling accountability to FMH and Fuji TV stakeholders, including viewers, sponsors, business partners, shareholders, investors, and employees.
The committee aims to uncover the root causes, evaluate group-wide human rights initiatives, and provide recommendations to prevent future issues. Findings are expected by the end of March 2025, with FMH promising to reveal the results and implement necessary measures.
In light of these challenges, Fuji TV has turned to Kenji Shimizu, whose experience in the anime industry has the potential to steer the company toward a more trusted and innovative future as President and CEO.
Kenji Shimizu: From Anime Producer to Fuji TV CEO
Kenji Shimizu’s appointment as Fuji TV’s new president is seen as an important change in leadership in favor of anime. Shimizu was involved in producing many popular works such as Dragon Ball, Dr. Slump Arale-chan, Yu Yu Hakusho, Chibi Maruko-chan, GeGeGe no Kitaro, and KochiKame, among others. His experience in the anime industry has sparked online speculation that Fuji TV might intensify its focus on anime programming under his leadership.
This would be different from Hiroshi Minato, whose leadership focused on variety programming. In the press conference, Shimizu said that Fuji Television has no future without regaining trust, adding that they will be starting from zero and “never tolerate acts that violate human rights.”
Fuji TV has been steadily increasing its focus on anime in recent years. Noitamina, its late-night anime programming block, recently announced a major timeslot change effective from April 2025. It will be moved from its post-midnight schedule to 11 PM. The first series to air in the new timeslot will be The Dinner Table Detective anime.
In addition to appointing Shimizu, FMH reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and ethical practices. Alongside the third-party investigation, FMH emphasized its Group Human Rights Policy, which applies to all employees and executives across all its subsidiaries. The policy also encourages business partners to uphold human rights in alignment with FMH’s values.
FMH is closely monitoring the potential financial impact of the incident, including a possible decline in advertising revenue for Fuji TV, and promises to update stakeholders on significant developments.
Kenji Shimizu’s appointment as Fuji TV’s new President and CEO is clearly a critical moment for the company. With the renewed focus on transparency, ethics, and anime programming, Fuji TV has the opportunity to rebuild trust and reclaim its position as a leader in Japanese media. Stay tuned as the third-party investigation moves forward and Fuji TV implements its promised changes.
Source: Oricon, Fuji Media Holdings Official Website (PDF 1, PDF 2), Mainichi
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