Masahiro Nakai, one of Japan’s top TV hosts and a former pop star, said Thursday he was retiring to take responsibility over sexual assault allegations that are part of a wave roiling Japan's entertainment industry and have triggered an avalanche of lost advertising at one of the networks where he worked.

Japanese TV host Masahiro Nakai, one of the most prominent figures in Japan's entertainment industry, has announced his retirement following a sexual assault allegation that has caused shockwaves throughout the country.

Masahiro Nakai, a popular TV host who was a member of the former pop group SMAP and is embroiled in a sexual misconduct scandal, said

Nakai’s decision came following reports that he engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with a woman that led to a settlement with the victim.

Japan's Fuji TV is facing criticism over its handling of alleged sexual misconduct by celebrity TV host and actor Masahiro Nakai, which have sent its parent’s share price tumbling in recent weeks. A group representing investors associated with U.

Masahiro Nakai said he has completed all discussions “regarding my termination, cancellation, removal and contract annulment.”

Masahiro Nakai, one of Japan's biggest boy band stars and a celebrity television host, announced his retirement on Thursday after being accused of sexual misconduct, Japanese media reported.

Japanese TV host Masahiro Nakai, one of the country's most recognisable faces on television, announced on Thursday that he was retiring after a sexual assault allegation that has rocked the country's entertainment industry.