Masahiro Nakai

Music

Nakai did not consider himself a good singer but he was a talented dancer. In particular, he excelled at locking. "Nakai was serious and got better and better at it. He is the type of person who can do a lot of things because he loves to dance and learns hard," said Bobby Yoshino, who choreographed SMAP's debut song "Can't Stop! Loving," evaluated. Later, artist Daichi Miura said "Nakai is the one who spread locking in Japan." After SMAP broke up in 2016, Nakai was never seen dancing, but on January 31, 2018, he made a surprise appearance at a concert held at Nakano Sunplaza by Busaiku, a junior group he was working with. Nakai wore a white costume and appeared with a special version of "Fire & Lightning" and danced with the four members of Busaiku, earning cheers from the audience.

Acting

In 1988, he made his acting debut in a television series, Abunai Shonen III, along with his band members. After several supporting roles, in 1995, he landed his first major role in a drama television series, Aji Ichimonme. Following its success, he established himself as a leading man, starring in many high-rated television series such as, Densetsu no Kyoushi (2000), Shiroi Kage (2001), Suna no Utsuwa (2004), and Ataru (2012). In 2008, he starred in a blockbuster film, Watashi wa Kai ni Naritai (2008). He was also known for his acting skills, having won numerous acting awards since his first acting award for Ajiichimonme.

Television

Before Nakai's debut in 1990, the then 18-year-old had already declared in a magazine interview that he wanted to try his hand at hosting and variety. The TBS TV music show Utaban, which aired from 1996 to 2010, was hosted by Nakai and popular comedian Takaaki Ishibashi. At the time, it was unusual for a comedian and an idol to host together. Although the show was a music show, it centered on light-hearted talk with guests, and the duo's unreserved questioning of guests became popular. It is said that Nakai began to listen carefully to guests because of Utaban. In 1996, he launched his first self-titled television program, Nakai-kun Onsen. In 1997, he became the youngest male presenter to host the Kohaku Uta Gassen at age 25. As of December 2024, Nakai had regular programs such as Masahiro Nakai no Doyoubi na Kai, Dareka to Nakai, The! Sekai Gyoten News, Masahiro Nakai's Friday no Sma Tachi he, special program Nakai no Mado the radio program Masahiro Nakai On & On Air, and the commercials for Softbank and "Timey". He was also scheduled to appear on the new show The MC3 the following month.

Sportscaster

From 1995, he started utilizing his knowledge on sports, serving as a sports commentator on Sunday Jungle, from 1995 to 2000. In 2004, he officially launched his career as a sportscaster, after becoming the host of TBS' coverage of the 2004 Summer Olympics and has hosted the channel's broadcasts of seven Olympic games. He is also known for his love of baseball and has been an official supporter of Japan national baseball team six times through 2024, at the World Baseball Classic since 2013 and the WBSC Premier12 since 2015.

TV commercials

Nissin Foods "Hyoe Don" (2004–2015)

Mitsubishi Motors Mirage, Mirage Asti, RVR

Coca-Cola Zero (2015–2016)

The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls: Starlight Stage (2015–)

Rebuttal by the Nakai legal team to the third-party committee

On May 12, 2025, Nakai's attorney submitted an official statement to the third-party committee, asserting that Nakai had not engaged in what is commonly understood as sexual violence, and requested the disclosure of evidence in order to protect his human rights.

Based on a detailed internal interview conducted with Nakai, the legal team asserted that "there was no confirmation of any violent or coercive sexual acts as commonly understood by the term 'sexual violence' in Japanese." The team criticized the committee for adopting the World Health Organization’s broad definition of sexual violence, which includes "any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual comments or advances, or acts to traffic or otherwise directed against a person’s sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting, including but not limited to home and work." Nakai's legal team argued that this standard lacked neutrality and equity, and that it severely damaged Nakai's personal honor and social status.

The trouble had already been settled privately between Nakai and the woman involved, and both parties were bound by a confidentiality agreement. On March 31, the third-party committee stated that the woman agreed to lift the confidentiality, while Nakai refused. However, according to his legal team, Nakai had in fact also proposed lifting confidentiality obligations to facilitate the investigation. However, the committee reportedly responded that "what happened in the private room between the two individuals was not the direct subject of the investigation." Nakai cooperated with the hearing for approximately six hours, but according to his attorney, his statements were scarcely reflected in the final report.

Nakai's legal team criticized the third-party committee for shifting the scope of its investigation without proper notice. Although the committee had initially stated that "what happened in the private room was not the direct subject of the investigation" and that events before and after were more relevant, it ultimately focused on the incident itself and unilaterally concluded that sexual violence had occurred. The legal team described this as a deceptive change of investigative scope without sufficient verification procedures, equating it to an foul play that violated principles of impartial fact-finding.

On June 3, the committee informed Nakai's legal team that it would refrain from further communication, citing concerns over potential secondary harm to the victim.

On July 5, Nakai's legal team criticized the third-party committee's handling of the case, arguing that the committee, unlike a court or law enforcement body, unilaterally labeled Nakai a perpetrator of sexual violence based on confirmation biased materials and one-sided hearings. They stated that Nakai was denied the opportunity to explain or defend himself, and that the process lacked any formal mechanisms for appeal or redress, leaving his reputation damaged without means of recovery. Despite repeated requests for clarification, the committee allegedly failed to respond substantively. Additionally, the legal team claimed that some of the committee's questioning—such as inquiries about Nakai's reasons for dining with women—constituted sexual harassment.

Furthermore, the legal team pointed out a possible information leak involving the third-party committee. digital forensic investigation reportedly uncovered traces suggesting that the report had been shared in advance with a third party identified as "A&S," and that the report was later replaced with a version from which these traces had been deleted. The legal team also raised concerns over a possible conflict of interest, noting that one member of the third-party committee served as an outside auditor for a company that places commercials on Fuji TV. It was also revealed that the company had suspended its commercials on Fuji shortly before the third-party committee was established. "A&S" refers to Atsumi & Sakai, a law firm where attorney Saori Hanada, who serves on the boards of Fuji Television and its parent company Fuji Media Holdings, is affiliated.

In response, the third-party committee issued a statement on July 7 denying any involvement, explaining that when the Fuji third-party committee was drafting the investigation report, the name "A&S" had remained in the author field of a microsoft Word file previously used by a committee member during earlier work with the same law firm, and that this name was unintentionally carried over into the PDF version of the published report.

Possible return

One year after being recognized as a sexual abuser, in an interview done by Josei Jishin, Nakai confirmed that he has been receiving several offers of work (one of them by long–time acquaintance Hitoshi Matsumoto). Though Nakai denies the possibility of ever returning, there could be an appearance in Matsumoto's group's streaming service, Downtown+. Nakai, who has been living a reclusive life since mid–year 2025, could appear there or in YouTube if he chose to.