According to Japanese weekly Shūkan Bunshun, veteran actor Satō Jirō has been accused of inappropriate conduct towards actress Hashimoto Ai during the filming of the Fuji TV drama series. Fufu Bessei Dekain which the two portray a married couple.
The report states that the incident occurred on April 8 at a Fuji television studio in Odaiba, Tokyo. According to the publication, tensions developed during filming due to physical interactions between the two actors.
The article alleges that during the early stages of production, Satō Jirō engaged in what was described as excessive physical contact with his co-star, including one instance where he touched Hashimoto Ai’s face. The report also states that Hashimoto’s side had previously informed the production team that physical contact should be kept to a minimum due to unpleasant experiences he had experienced in the past. However, the information would not have been fully communicated to everyone involved.
According to the report, Satō Jirō subsequently visited Hashimoto Ai’s dressing room on two separate occasions to discuss the matter directly. The first conversation was reportedly tense, with the actress reportedly becoming emotional and bursting into tears. A second argument is said to have taken place after the drama’s first episode aired, when disagreements over their working relationship reportedly resurfaced. The publication claims that some remarks made during these conversations placed considerable emotional pressure on Hashimoto during production.
The report also states that Hashimoto Ai’s management agency subsequently requested improvements to the working environment on set. Fuji TV is said to have appointed an external lawyer to look into the matter.
Meanwhile, Satō Jirō’s management company reportedly acknowledged that physical contact occurred during filming and confirmed that the actor visited Hashimoto’s dressing room to speak with her. However, the agency denied that its actions constituted harassment, saying that its intention was to build rapport and improve cooperation between cast members as they worked together.
As for Hashimoto Ai, the report further states that her management company confirmed that the actress experienced a certain degree of physical and emotional strain during filming, affecting both her health and her work schedule.
Sources: Shūkan Bunshun
