Fuji Media Director Resigns over Expense Issue

Tokyo, Nov. 8 (Jiji Press)–Fuji Media Holdings Inc. has announced that Executive Managing Director Michiyo Yasuda resigned over her inappropriate expense claims. Yasuda has made inappropriate claims for expenses totaling about 1 million yen in some 60 cases since 2020, including falsifying the number of attendees at dinners, the media group said Friday. She also resigned as director of Fuji Television Network Inc. Yasuda, a former Fuji TV reporter, was appointed to Fuji Media’s board at a shareholders’ meeting in June, as part of a management renewal after the group’s corporate culture was questioned over its handling of a sexual assault scandal involving former TV star Masahiro Nakai. “It is absolutely unforgivable, and we apologize from the bottom of our hearts, ” Fuji Media President Kenji Shimizu told a press conference. Fuji Media learned about Yasuda’s expense claims in mid-September and investigated past records. She admitted to the irregularities, expressed her intention to refund the money, and offered to resign. She did not make the expenses for personal purposes, such as buying personal belongings, according to the group. The announcement was made just a day after Shimizu became vice president of the Japan Commercial Broadcasters Association on Thursday. “It’s very bad timing,” he said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]