In many respects, the sex scandal that has gripped Japan in recent weeks feels familiar. The hallmarks are all there: the resignations of senior leaders, the accusations of cover-ups, the news conferences where panels of graying male executives bow deeply to the cameras.
But this affair — which culminated in a grueling briefing Monday, with executives of Fuji Media Holdings grilled by a crowd of increasingly hostile reporters for more than 10 hours — also reveals that many things in Japan are experiencing growing pains.
That includes attitudes toward celebrity, sexual harassment and the importance of crisis communications — and perhaps above all, the growing role that outside investors are playing in keeping Tokyo’s boardrooms on their toes.
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