Ex-Kadokawa Chairman Released on Bail After 7 Months in Custody over Tokyo Games’ Bribery Case

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:52 JST, April 28, 2023

Tsuguhiko Kadokawa, former chairman of publishing giant Kadokawa Corp., was released on bail from Tokyo Detention House on Thursday night.

The 79-year-old, indicted on a charge of offering bribes in connection with the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, had been detained for over seven months since being arrested by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office’s special investigation squad last September.

Kadokawa was indicted for allegedly paying about ¥69 million in bribes to Haruyuki Takahashi, 79, a former executive board member of the Games’ organizing committee who was indicted on multiple charges of accepting bribes.

According to sources, Kadokawa denies the charge and had lodged three unsuccessful bail requests. He filed a fourth request on April 18 and the Tokyo District Court decided to grant bail Thursday. The bail bond was set at ¥200 million and Kadokawa paid the full amount.

On Thursday at around 9:40 p.m., the former chairman, wearing a heavy jacket, appeared at the detention house’s entrance in a wheelchair. As he was getting into the car, people with apparent ties to the publishing company called out, “Chairman!”

Two former Kadokawa employees were also indicted on a bribery charge. Kyoji Maniwa, 63, a then section chief in charge of Games-related affairs at the company, admitted to the charge in his first trial in March.