Tsuguhiko Kadokawa, chairman of KADOKAWA, a major publishing company, was arrested on 14th on suspicion of bribery over the sponsorship contract for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. Interviews with people involved revealed that there was a suspicion that they had directly requested to expedite it.

The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office's special investigation unit is believed to be investigating whether Kadokawa himself requested specific conveniences from the former director and offered a large amount of bribes.

Suspect Tsuguhiko Kadokawa, 79, chairman of KADOKAWA, a major publishing company, said that he had received a donation from Haruyuki Takahashi, 78, former director of the Organizing Committee of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, as a reward for being selected as a sponsor for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. On the 14th, he was arrested on suspicion of bribery by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office for offering a total of 69 million yen in bribes.



According to people involved, after the bid for the Tokyo Games was decided, KADOKAWA, which had the intention to participate as a sponsor, was accused of accepting bribes from Kazumasa Fukami (73), the company representative who is suspected of accepting bribes along with former director Takahashi. It means that the former director was introduced.



After that, when Chairman Kadokawa met with former director Takahashi, it was newly found that there was a suspicion that he had directly requested to expedite the conclusion of the sponsorship contract with KADOKAWA.

KADOKAWA signed a sponsorship contract with the Organizing Committee in 2019 and has been involved in the publication of official programs and guidebooks for the Games.



The Special Investigation Unit is believed to be investigating whether Kadokawa himself asked former director Takahashi to provide specific conveniences in the sponsorship contract and offered a large amount of bribes.



Chairman Kadokawa strongly denied offering a bribe to the former director in response to an interview with the press on the 5th of this month.



According to those involved, former director Takahashi has denied the charges, explaining that he "doesn't remember".