Toshihiro Ito, left, and Mona Yamamoto, during their first and only program.

Fuji TV apologizes for Mona Yamamoto's scandal

Monday 14th July, 11:58 AM JST

TOKYO —

Fuji TV on Sunday night apologized during the news program “Sakiyomi” for the fallout over anchor Mona Yamamoto’s visit to a love hotel with a married Yomiuri Giants baseball player. Yamamoto, who co-hosted the program with Toshihiro Ito, when it debuted on July 7, has suspended all activities, including her anchor job on “Sakiyomi.”

Ito apologized at the beginning of the program at 10 p.m., saying, “We have made a decision to let Mona Yamamoto leave the program temporarily after receiving a request from Yamamoto herself and her agent Office Kitano. We believe this is a reasonable decision. Although we started ‘Sakiyomi’ last week with high expectations, we feel embarrassed by such a scandal. We will make efforts to make a better program which is credible for our audience.”

Ito added that Yamamoto had sent a message to viewers in which she apologized. “As a news anchor, I should have been more sensible,” Ito read out.

Latest 15 of 35 Total Comments Show All

lipscombe at 11:55 PM JST - 14th July

Yamamoto went to a love hotel with Giants player Tomohiro Nioka, 32, who is married

from thursdays news, no conspiracy. Nioka did it the scoundrel
NICOLE77 at 12:11 AM JST - 15th July

FARHAAN- Her mother is Japanese and her father is Norwegian...
suckit at 01:48 AM JST - 15th July

shes her own person, can we help it if she likes sex?
omarbabilon at 02:51 AM JST - 15th July

What a hell?... it seems in this country you can not ave sex if you want with anyone and later you have lo apologise about it?... it sucks, nobody is free in this prison island.
farhaan at 04:58 AM JST - 15th July

NICOLE77

Her mother is Japanese and her father is Norwegian...

Thanks
Blue_Tiger at 05:37 AM JST - 15th July

What's the big deal? All that she and Nioka did at the love hotel was "talk", even though Nioka was next to incoherant thanks to him being drunken. After all, isn't that what people do when they go to a love hotel in the first place, just talk?
Zen_Builder at 05:40 AM JST - 15th July

Lets see.

If he was that drunk could he perform? Even the old romans knew that alcohol increased the desire but reduced the ability to perform.

Either way who really cares.
westurn at 05:50 AM JST - 15th July

"If she was in America..."

No, If she was in America she wouldn't be going to a "love hotel" !

Cripes, get it right posters ! Only Nippon and Asia have these stupid love hotels. The rest of the planet has " your own home, the beach, or the Hyatt Regency" ! A love hotel ??? Hic !
Blue_Tiger at 06:50 AM JST - 15th July

omarbabikon - She was with someone else's husband. It isn't like she was with a single dude, she was doing it with another wman's husband. That's why there's all this negative press....
tokyotom at 09:57 AM JST - 15th July

didnt ichiro marry a news anchor? Mona should go for him, what a cat and dog fight that would ensue! Fuji TV could make a fortune on the coverage, everybody wins
Peaceful_Man at 10:00 AM JST - 15th July

Back to the show "Sakiyomi", it features commentators such as Nagashima (the famous baseballer's son) and Eiji Wentz (is that how you spell it), both with no credentials or credibility to comment on current affairs. By looking at the lineup it seems they got Moaner (Mona) there for her track record. Fuji TV got what they deserved
buggerlugs at 10:02 AM JST - 15th July

I like love hotels, they offer a much needed service.
Altria at 10:13 AM JST - 15th July

Yeah, I think they need to apologise more for employing Wentz as a commentator - that's the real scandal. Who on earth did he sleep with to get the job?
realist at 01:56 PM JST - 15th July

Surely the act of adultery is nothing to do with one`s occupation as a TV "anchor?" Adultery is adultery, and nothing whatsoever to do with position. Sin is still sin.
flyingfish at 01:41 PM JST - 18th July

yes and she de-anchored someones marriage. then she got de-anchored