Fujitsu Chair Resigns Over Woman-Related Inappropriate Conduct: New Scandal Hits Japanese Tech Giant Amid Ongoing Horizon IT Crisis

## Introduction Fujitsu, the Japanese technology giant at the heart of the UK Post Office Horizon IT scandal, has faced a fresh blow to its reputation with the resignation of its chair Hidenori Furuta, who stepped down on 16 June 2026 after two years in the role, following the board’s discovery of his “woman-related inappropriate conduct”. The resignation comes as the company remains under intense scrutiny for its role in the Horizon scandal, which led to the wrongful conviction of 900 subpostmasters for theft and false accounting, with Fujitsu yet to contribute to the £1.5bn compensation bill funded by UK taxpayers despite admitting it knew of the system’s faults since the 1990s. The incident also aligns with a growing trend of high-profile misconduct scandals targeting senior executives at major Japanese corporations in recent years, highlighting widespread concerns about workplace harassment and lack of accountability for high-ranking officials.

## Details of Furuta’s Resignation and Fujitsu’s Internal Investigation Fujitsu revealed in a Tuesday stock market filing that its board of directors became aware of Hidenori Furuta’s inappropriate conduct, after which it received a formal resignation request from Furuta effective 16 June 2026, and announced it would withdraw his candidacy as a non-executive director at its upcoming annual shareholders’ meeting later this month. A company spokesperson confirmed the existence of “woman-related inappropriate conduct” but declined to provide further details, as reported by the Financial Times. Furuta’s resignation follows a pattern of high-level executive exits at major Japanese firms over misconduct allegations against women in recent years, including Honda executive vice-president Shinji Aoyama, who resigned in 2024 over allegations of inappropriate behaviour at an after-work social gathering, and Eneos president Takeshi Saito, who was dismissed in 2023 for alleged misconduct while intoxicated at a social event. Furuta was appointed chair in 2024 after holding multiple senior roles at Fujitsu, including chief operating officer, executive vice-president, and chief technology officer. He had recently joined the Japan-EU Business Round Table in Brussels, per his LinkedIn profile, alongside Mikihito Saito, Fujitsu’s senior executive vice-president and chair of the Japan Business Council in Europe. When contacted by Reuters via LinkedIn, Furuta stated: “The company statement speaks for itself.”

## The Horizon IT Scandal: An Ongoing Burden for Fujitsu With the UK Government Furuta’s resignation comes as Fujitsu continues to grapple with the fallout from the Post Office Horizon IT scandal, one of the largest miscarriages of justice in UK history. The faulty Horizon software, supplied by Fujitsu to the UK Post Office, led to thousands of subpostmasters being falsely accused of embezzling funds, with 900 wrongfully convicted of theft and false accounting. Despite admitting as early as the 1990s that it was aware of the system’s critical flaws, Fujitsu has not yet contributed to the £1.5bn compensation bill for victims, which is being fully funded by UK taxpayers, while the company remains in ongoing settlement negotiations with the UK government. The Post Office has finally announced plans to fully replace the Horizon system, with management consultancy Accenture and software platform OneView Commerce winning contracts to implement a new accounting system. As Japan’s largest IT services provider, Fujitsu is also positioned to play a leading role in Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s national AI strategy, announced in early 2026, which aims to reduce Japan’s reliance on US technology suppliers in critical sectors including AI.

## A Pattern of Senior Executive Misconduct Scandals in Major Japanese Corporations Furuta’s exit is the latest in a string of high-profile misconduct scandals targeting senior executives at large Japanese companies in recent years, many of which involve inappropriate behaviour towards women. The most high-profile case in recent memory involved Masahiro Nakai, a former member of the iconic Japanese boyband Smap and one of Japan’s most beloved television personalities, who was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a private dinner in June 2023, reportedly arranged by a senior Fuji TV staff member. The scandal triggered a widespread advertiser boycott of Fuji TV and forced the network to issue a public apology. These incidents have sparked widespread public debate in Japan about the country’s pervasive culture of silence around workplace sexual harassment, and the lack of accountability for high-ranking officials accused of misconduct. A 2025 Japanese government study estimated that more than 60% of women in the Japanese workforce have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace at least once in their careers, putting increasing pressure on companies to adopt stricter policies and enforcement mechanisms to address such behaviour.

## Impact of the Scandal on Fujitsu’s Reputation and Future AI Ambitions Furuta’s resignation is expected to deal a significant blow to Fujitsu’s global reputation, particularly as the company ramps up efforts to expand its international operations and lead Japan’s national AI initiatives. The scandal comes at a critical time for Fujitsu, which is positioned to play a leading role in Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s national AI strategy, announced in early 2026, which aims to reduce Japan’s reliance on US technology suppliers in critical sectors including AI. The incident is also likely to complicate ongoing settlement talks with the UK government over the Horizon scandal, as British officials and victims’ advocacy groups are likely to use the latest misconduct allegations to argue that Fujitsu has failed to take adequate responsibility for its past wrongdoing. Analysts note that the scandal could also hinder Fujitsu’s ability to attract top global AI talent and secure strategic partnerships with Western technology firms, as the company faces growing competition from US and Chinese tech giants in the global AI race. This added reputational risk comes as the Takaichi administration pushes for greater technological self-reliance, making Fujitsu’s performance and public image a matter of national strategic interest for Japan.