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Kadokawa Chair Tsuguhiko Kadokawa to Resign Amid Indictment on Charges of Bribery

The Mainichi Shimbun newspaper reported on Tuesday that Kadokawa chairman Tsuguhiko Kadokawa (79) intends to resign from the company. The Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office had indicted him earlier on Tuesday. Mainichi Shimbun stated it learned of the chairman's intention through his defense team.

The company has not officially confirmed the resignation, but it did post a press release regarding the indictment, which stated:

We take this matter very seriously, and deeply apologize to all those concerned including our readers, customers, authors, creators, business partners, shareholders, and investors for the considerable inconvenience this matter has caused.

The company stated it will host a press conference about the situation on October 5 at 5:00 p.m. JST (4:00 a.m. EDT).

Tsuguhiko Kadokawa's Arrest

Kadokawa was arrested on September 14 on suspicion of bribing a former member of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics organizing committee. Prosecutors said the company Kadokawa has continued to deny the allegations since Tsuguhiko Kadokawa's arrest.

The company is suspected of paying around 69 million yen (about US$480,000) to a consultancy linked to Haruyuki Takahashi (78), who was arrested in August on suspicion of accepting bribes from companies to secure their sponsorship for the Games.

The firm belonged to Kazumasa Fukami (73), who once worked together with Takahashi at Dentsu Inc. before Takahashi became a member of the Olympic organizing committee. Takahashi allegedly used his network of contacts at Dentsu, which the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee commissioned to select and handle the sponsors, to secure Kadokawa's position.

Kadokawa became an "official supporter" of the Games in April 2019, and published the official programmes (pictured right) and results books. According to sources linked to the investigation, Kadokawa signed a deal with the consultancy to pay 69 million yen in 10 installments starting from May 2019. A portion of the money is believed to have been transferred to Takahashi.

Other Kadokawa-related and Olympics-related Arrests

Former Kadokawa executive Toshiyuki Yoshihara (64) and former senior official Kyо̄ji Maniwa (63) were arrested on September 6 as part of the ongoing scandal. Prosecutors raided Kadokawa's head office, the home of chairman Kadokawa, and the above-mentioned consulting firm. Tokyo's Special Investigation Team has not revealed whether the four individuals confirmed or denied the charges. Yoshihara and Maniwa were indicted on September 27.

Takahashi was arrested in August on suspicion of accepting 51 million yen (about US$363,000) in bribes from clothing company Aoki Holdings Inc. The Osaka-based advertising firm Daiko has also come under scrutiny for paying at least 14 million yen (about US$99,600) to the firm.

Japan Times previously reported that Kadokawa Chairman Tsuguhiko Kadokawa claimed to reporters the money was just a consultancy fee and that there was "absolutely no recognition on his part that the money constituted a bribe."

NHK reported that, according to sources linked to the investigation, Takahashi denied charges of bribery, while Aoki Holdings founder Hironori Aoki admitted to it.

Tsuguhiko Kadokawa's father Genyoshi founded Kadokawa in 1945.

Sources: Kadokawa, The Mainichi, Mainichi Shimbun (二村祐士朗)