Celebrity Sexual Bribery Scandal: Broadcasting Stations ‘Struck by a Bolt’… Companies Halt Advertisements One After Another > Issue

As suspicions of celebrity sexual bribery involving executives of Japanese broadcaster Fuji TV have surfaced, major Japanese companies such as Toyota Motor are suspending their commercials (CMs) currently airing on Fuji TV. This is because they believe it could damage their corporate image. According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun on the 20th, at least 15 companies including Toyota, Nippon Life Insurance, NTT East, Kao, Seven & i, and Nissan Motor have suspended their commercials currently airing on Fuji TV as of that day. All of these are in response to reports that "Fuji TV employees were involved" in the sexual bribery issue surrounding Masahiro Nakai, a former member of Japanese male idol group SMAP and now an actor.