TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Japanese government has pulled all four advertisements it has recently run on Fuji Television Network Inc., a major broadcaster at the heart of a sexual misconduct scandal involving a popular host, its top spokesman said Thursday.

Government-related ads aimed at promoting policies and raising public awareness about specific issues will not appear on Fuji TV "for the time being" due to the recent development, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said.

The four ads include two for the Cabinet Office, plus one each for the Ministry of Labor, Health and Welfare and the National Tax Agency.

The development follows decisions by major Japanese firms to pull their ads from the broadcaster in a bid to distance themselves from the incident that has drawn public criticism and scrutiny.

"In light of the current situation surrounding Fuji TV, we will refrain from running ads on the network for the time being," Hayashi, the top government spokesman, told a regular press briefing.

Masahiro Nakai, a former member of the now-defunct popular Japanese group SMAP, is accused of sexual misconduct against a woman in 2023, according to the Shukan Bunshun weekly magazine.

Nakai, who reportedly reached a 90 million yen ($583,000) out-of-court settlement with the woman, resigned from show business following the magazine report.

Fuji TV's top management has offered an apology, though it has denied that an employee was involved in organizing the gathering where the misconduct allegedly took place. A third-party panel is scheduled to investigate the case.

While former president Koichi Minato was aware of the allegation in 2023, the broadcaster continued to allow Nakai to appear regularly on its programming.

The government is currently discussing what to do with collaborative projects with the broadcaster, concerning the Cabinet Office and the Japan Coast Guard, according to Hayashi.