Tsuguhiko Kadokawa, the former chairman of Kadokawa Corporation, announced this week that he's appealing his conviction in the Tokyo Olympics bribery case and taking legal action against the company's current leadership.

The Tokyo District Court found Kadokawa guilty in January and handed down a sentence of two years and six months in prison, suspended for four years. The conviction stems from allegations that Kadokawa bribed a former senior official of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics organizing committee to secure sponsorship deals. Kadokawa has consistently maintained his innocence.

In his appeal and civil lawsuit, Kadokawa is challenging both the verdict and what he views as damaging actions by the company itself. He's suing CEO Takeshi Natsuno and internal investigation lawyer Tadashi Kunihiro for 20 million yen (approximately $124,000) in damages, arguing that Kadokawa Corporation's internal investigation and public disclosure of its findings harmed his reputation and compromised his right to a fair trial. Specifically, he contends that the investigation report—still available on the company's website—was conducted without his testimony and violated his presumption of innocence.

Kadokawa also raised concerns about Japan's pre-trial detention system, known as "hostage justice." He was held for 226 days before trial after his September 2022 arrest, and claims his repeated bail requests were denied. He's planning additional legal action against the government, alleging his detention was unlawful and may have influenced his case outcome.

Kadokawa and vice-chair Masaki Matsubara resigned from the company in October 2022 following their indictment. Prosecutors alleged that Kadokawa Corporation paid approximately 69 million yen (roughly $480,000) to a consultancy connected to Haruyuki Takahashi, a former Olympics organizing committee board member who was arrested on suspicion of accepting bribes to help companies secure sponsorship.

Other defendants in the case, including Takahashi himself, have denied the accusations and remain in ongoing trials. The case continues to draw attention as a high-profile example of corporate misconduct surrounding the 2020 Olympics.