Kadokawa CEO Faces 200 Million Yen Defamation Lawsuit by Former Board Chairman
Takeshi Natsuno, CEO of Kadokawa Corporation, one of Japan's largest media and publishing conglomerates, is facing a defamation lawsuit filed by former board chairman Tōru Iwama, seeking 200 million yen (approximately $1.3 million) in damages. According to Anime Corner, the lawsuit was filed over alleged derogatory statements made by Natsuno about Iwama.
The incident stands out as a rare high-level executive conflict in Japanese business. Kadokawa is known as a giant in anime, manga, and light novel publishing, as well as in the gaming and film industries. Since the death of founder Kadokawa Tsuguhiko in 2021, the power dynamics in management have shifted. Iwama served as chairman of Kadokawa for many years and retired last year. Natsuno was appointed CEO in 2022.
According to details of the case, Natsuno is alleged to have criticized Iwama's management tenure as 'unsuccessful' and 'harmful to the company' during internal meetings and some media interviews. Iwama states that these remarks seriously damaged his personal and professional reputation, leading him to take legal action. While no official statement has been released from Kadokawa, sources within the company say the situation is being closely monitored.
This case parallels other upheavals Kadokawa has experienced in recent years. In 2022, the company had to delay the release of some productions due to a major cyberattack, and it also came into the spotlight in 2024 due to Niconico platform outages. On the other hand, Kadokawa has recently seen strong growth in the anime and manga licensing market, especially with popular series like 'Otoyomegatari', 'Overlord', and 'Re:Zero'. If the lawsuit results against Natsuno, a change in the company's top management is also being discussed.
In the Japanese legal system, defamation lawsuits often take a long time, so a decision is not expected until early 2026 at the earliest. Fans and industry representatives are wondering whether such an internal conflict will cast a shadow over Kadokawa's future projects and partnerships. We may get a clearer picture of developments at the company's planned shareholder meeting in April 2025.
