Major publishing company Kadokawa’s chairman held in Tokyo Games-related bribery case

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:51 JST, September 14, 2022

The special investigation squad of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office on Wednesday arrested Tsuguhiko Kadokawa, chairman of major publisher Kadokawa Corp., on suspicion of paying bribes related to the Tokyo Olympics.

According to an announcement by the prosecutors office, Kadokawa, 79, was arrested on suspicion of giving about ¥69 million to Haruyuki Takahashi, 78, a former executive board member of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic organizing committee, between September 2019 and January 2021. The money was allegedly a reward for the publisher receiving favored treatment, mainly in the selection of sponsors of the Tokyo Games. The announcement also said Kadokawa had conspired with Toshiyuki Yoshihara, 64, a former managing director of Kadokawa Corp., and Kyoji Maniwa, 63, who was then a section chief in charge of Games-related affairs of the publishing company.

Takahashi was arrested in August on suspicion of receiving bribes from another Games sponsor, Aoki Holdings, Inc., and was rearrested on Sept. 6 on suspicion of receiving bribes from Kadokawa. Yoshihara and Maniwa were also arrested on suspicion of giving bribes on the same day.