On August 5, 2026, Japan's NHK publicly confirmed that one of its employees was sexually assaulted by a cast member of a program after a social gathering in 2023 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The employee suffered a decline in health and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
The assaulted employee requested a transfer to another department after returning from a leave of absence, but NHK initially denied this request. The transfer was ultimately approved about three years later following medical advice recommending a change in work environment [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
NHK was reportedly unaware of the full severity of the incident until April 2025, when the employee formally reported it through a labor union, more than a year after the assault occurred [1, 2, 4, 5, 3]. The broadcaster then established a three-member investigative committee, including an external lawyer, in May 2025 to review the case [1, 2, 4, 5].
The committee criticized NHK’s limited response, noting the company adhered only to established procedures despite the seriousness of the assault [1, 2, 4, 5]. NHK reprimanded five officials involved in the initial handling, though these reprimands stopped short of disciplinary actions [1, 2, 5].
NHK chose not to reveal the cast member’s name or gender, stating the individual no longer appears on the program [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The cast member reportedly said, “I do not remember it because I was drinking. If such an incident did occur, I am sorry.” [1, 2, 5]
NHK President Tatsuhiko Inoue apologized publicly for the company’s inappropriate management of the case. He said, “We deeply regret the sexual assault and sincerely apologize for our inappropriate response.” He also pledged to improve the workplace environment and human rights protections throughout the organization [3, 4, 5].
The next step involves NHK implementing recommendations from the investigative committee to foster a safer workplace and prevent recurrence of such incidents.
