is a Japanese former television personality, actor, radio personality, and singer. He debuted as the leader of the boy band SMAP, which had been the best-selling boy band in Asia. While working as a member of a boy band, he worked extensively as a television presenter, hosting many of his own talk shows, variety shows, music shows, news programs, and several Olympic games as a sportscaster.
He is credited for changing the Japanese entertainment industry, becoming the first non-comedian celebrity to have a career as a television host and expanding the capacity of a boy band. He is one of the wealthiest and highest-paid celebrities in Japan, identified as the highest tax payer in the Japanese entertainment industry by the Japanese National Tax Bureau in 2003.
In December 2024 reports surfaced in Japanese tabloids that Nakai sexually assaulted a woman in her twenties in June 2023. Despite Nakai issuing an apology the following month, many of his TV and radio programs were suspended, cancelled, or removed Nakai as a presenter following the withdrawal of numerous sponsors. Nakai subsequently announced his retirement on January 23, 2025.
Early life Nakai was born in Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture. He is the youngest of three boys. As a child, he lived in poverty in a small two-room house with a family of five, and sometimes lacked food. Nakai had dreamed to become a professional baseball player and was a member of a youth baseball team. However, he gave up that dream when he was diagnosed with Little League elbow in the fifth grade of elementary school.
Career Overview Nakai sent his resume to Johnny & Associates when he was 14 years old in 1986, when he was in junior high school, and after auditioning, he entered the show business in the same year. He was influenced by the fact that there was a boy belonging to Johnny's at the same junior high school and that model Saki Takaoka and a senior member of Johnny's, Atsuhiro Sato, were at a nearby junior high school in Fujisawa City.
After the other future members of SMAP had auditioned, the following year, in autumn 1987, twenty boys from ages ten to seventeen were put together into a group called The Skate Boys, initially created as backup dancers for boy band Hikaru Genji. In April 1988, producer Johnny Kitagawa chose six out of the twenty boys to create a new boy band and named them "SMAP". Nakai, being the oldest of the group, was chosen to become the leader.
He is especially known for his ability as an emcee for variety show and music show. After being selected to host NHK's New Year's Eve music show Kōhaku Uta Gassen in 1997, Nakai hosted the program a total of six times, and since 1998 he has hosted Fuji Television's summer signature program, FNS 27 Hours TV, a total of eight times, he has been the main host of TBS TV's major music program every year since 2011.
Nakai became a successful celebrity with many regular programs, mainly as an emcee. He was a regular on lists of high taxpayers published until 2005 in Japan.
Nakai had been working as a solo artist since the disbandment of SMAP in 2016, but left Johnny & Associates at the end of March 2020 to set up his own private agency, .
In a press conference held on February 21, 2020, Nakai explained that the reason for his departure was that he had been burned out since the disbandment of SMAP in 2016, and after two years had passed, he became to think changing his environment in order to regain his passion once again, so he wanted to become independent even if it meant leaving the company that had taken care of him so well. Nakai's independence from Johnny's was said to have been an amicable departure, which was unusual until then, and many executives from Johnny's attended his press conference.
He has been awarded the Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon three times in succession in 2021, 2022, and 2023 for his private donations.
Nakai took a leave of absence on July 14, 2022, for surgery for acute appendicitis and returned to work on July 18, 2022. However, he began to miss shows again around October of the same year due to health problems, and announced on December 2 that he was taking a leave of absence, returning to work on January 14, 2023.
Masahiro Nakai announced on January 23, 2025, that he would retire from the entertainment industry. This was reported on his paid membership site "Nonbirinakai". Along with this, he announced that his private office, Nonbirinakai, would also close down as soon as its operations were completed. After news about his retirement was out, , and trended on X (formerly known as Twitter).
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–)
Sexual misconduct scandal, retirement, and aftermath
Timeline of events leading to retirement
In December 2024, reports surfaced in Japanese tabloid newspapers that Nakai allegedly engaged in nonconsensual sexual activity with an unnamed woman in her twenties in June 2023. Nakai reportedly paid the woman a substantial settlement.
In January 2025, Nakai issued an apology through his agency, acknowledging that there was trouble which "all resulted from my shortcomings". He said he could not answer the details of the trouble due to confidentiality obligations that arose during the settlement, but denied some of the reported allegations, including violence, and added that he believed he could continue his career. Japanese television networks TV Asahi and Nippon TV suspended Nakai from its broadcasts in response to the allegations, while Fuji Television and TBS reportedly said that they would examine the issue.
Fuji TV also denied a report by the Shūkan Bunshun that one of its employees set up the date between Nakai and the woman. Shortly after an affiliate of American activist fund Dalton Investments (a minority shareholder of Fuji Media Holdings) sent an open letter to Fuji TV calling on their board to open an independent investigation and alleging that its handling of the Nakai matter exposed "serious flaws" in their corporate governance, Fuji TV president Koichi Minato apologized over the allegations and announced that an investigation panel consisting of third-party lawyers would be established. Minato added that while the network was aware of the incident in June 2023 between Nakai and the woman, it was not disclosed in the interest of the woman's privacy and her physical and mental recovery. On January 17 Shūkan Bunshun, citing an unnamed Fuji TV announcer, reported that the Fuji TV staffer who allegedly arranged the 2023 dinner party had arranged other similar parties for Nakai and Fuji TV.
Over 50 Japanese companies reportedly pulled advertising from Fuji TV programs since the surfacing of the allegations, including Toyota, Nissan, Seven & I Holdings, Shiseido and Meiji Yasuda Life. Radio programs and television shows starring Nakai, including , and Dareka to Nakai, were either suspended or cancelled. He had also been dropped as a presenter on programs including and .
On January 23, 2025, Nakai announced his retirement from show business on his fan club website "Nonbirinakai," apologizing for having to say goodbye without seeing his fans. Former SMAP members Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Shingo Katori provided a joint comment regarding the issue: "This happened so suddenly that we have yet to process it emotionally, we are at a loss for words. We would like to refrain from speaking about it at this time. We appreciate your understanding." Former SMAP member and current professional moto racer also sent a message regarding Nakai: "I was surprised to hear the news. I will refrain from commenting. Thank you for your understanding."
On January 27, 2025, as a consequence of the scandal, Fuji TV announced major leadership changes - Fuji TV president Koichi Minato, and Shuji Kanoh, chairman of its parent company Fuji Media Holdings, both resigned effective immediately. As a result, Kenji Shimizu was appointed as the new president. During this press conference, Fuji TV stated that they still believed that the executive played no part in the incident, with the person having submitted evidence to back it up. According to Fuji TV, Nakai also said that the executive played no part.
On March 31, 2025, the third-party committee established by Fuji Television and Fuji Media Holdings, chaired by Akira Takeuchi concluded, based on hearings with both the woman and Nakai, that an act of sexual violence had occurred according to World Health Organization standards. The committee stated that its conclusion was based on the content and demeanor of both parties' testimonies.
Rebuttal by the Nakai legal team to the third-party committee