KADOKAWA CEO Takeshi Natsuno and lawyer Tadashi Kunihiro have been sued for 200 million yen ($1.2 million) by former chairman Tsuguhiko Kadokawa following his accusations of defamation. This traces back to January 2023, when KADOKAWA (uppercase: the company, not the former chairman) published its report following the establishment of a committee to investigate concerns that Kadokawa (lowercase: the person) was involved in bribery relating to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Natsuno, as the representative of KADOKAWA, and Kunihiro (an external lawyer who chaired the committee) oversaw the committee report that said that there were “Inappropriate acts” and “Acts highly likely to constitute bribery” found by the committee.
Suspicion on Bribery by the Company’s Officers and Employees at the Tokyo Olympic Games” (archived)
Kadokawa, who was found guilty of bribery in January 2026 and is appealing the conviction, says that Natsuno and Kunihiro’s claims that he was involved in acts highly likely to constitute bribery were false and thus damaged his reputation.
Asahi Shimbun reports that Kadokawa said in his June 16 press conference that the committee lacked neutrality and that its report was made in accordance with Natsuno’s wish to hold Kadokawa responsible for management responsibilities. Kadokawa reportedly added that the report disadvantaged his ability to maintain his innocence in court.
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KADOKAWA published a response on the same date as the lawsuit’s filing (June 16), which refrained from detailed comments, but defended the report as necessary to protect the company’s value.
The timing of the lawsuit is far from ideal for Natsuno, whose continuation as CEO of KADOKAWA is being hotly contested by its largest shareholder, Oasis Management Company. Among Oasis’ many accusations of Natsuno’s poor leadership were that he frequently found himself in controversies. Days before the lawsuit, the Japan Fair Trade Commission submitted recommendations to KADOKAWA regarding improper conduct towards some of its contractors, including failures to disclose payment fees, due dates, and conditions. Shareholders will vote at the Annual General Meeting on June 24 on whether to accept Oasis’ proposal to dismiss Natsuno from the board of directors.
Source: Asahi Shimbun
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