Kadokawa Brothers’ Court Battle Over Family Heirloom Ends with Haruki’s Claim Fully Rejected

The spirit embedded in the single carrying pole that is the origin of the Kadokawa family

Haruki Kadokawa (83), once hailed as a revolutionary figure in the publishing world who led the media mix movement and was called the darling of his era, has suffered a legal defeat in court following a dispute with his younger brother, Norihiko Kadokawa (81).

The dispute centered on the ownership of an old carrying pole (tenbinbō).

On July 10, 2025, the Tokyo District Court ruled completely against Haruki Kadokawa’s claim for the return of the carrying pole, dismissing the case as unfounded. The court also ordered him to bear all litigation costs, delivering a harsh verdict.

A carrying pole is a long stick with weights hanging from both ends, designed to be carried on the shoulders. While rarely seen nowadays, during the Showa era, fishmongers would carry large baskets containing fish on both ends and walk around selling their goods.

The carrying pole at the center of this legal battle is wooden, worn down and deformed by years of use, measuring 168 cm in length. However, it is far from an ordinary stick — it symbolizes the origins of the giant media group KADOKAWA and embodies the spirit of the Kadokawa family. It was a treasured family heirloom cherished throughout his life by the brothers’ father, Genyoshi Kadokawa (died 1975), the founder who built Kadokawa Shoten from scratch.

Genyoshi was born in 1917 into a poor family in Toyama Prefecture. In the book Kadokawa Shoten and Me, published on the 50th anniversary of Kadokawa Shoten’s founding, Genyoshi recalls the origins of the family heirloom:

“I was born in a snowy fishing town in Toyama. The Kadokawa family had fallen on hard times, so my father, who barely finished elementary school, struggled to send his younger siblings to school. He became a sailor at a young age and sold fish while carrying them on a carrying pole through snow-covered villages.

The nails holding the ropes on the carrying pole wore down from use, so he hammered nails in new spots to hold fresh ropes. Because of this, the pole became quite bumpy and oddly shaped.”

In other words, the carrying pole was used by Genyoshi’s father, Genzaburo, during his time as a fresh fish seller before later becoming one of the leading rice wholesalers in the Hokuriku region. Genyoshi inherited this carrying pole.

In 1945, Genyoshi founded Kadokawa Shoten. The early years were a constant struggle with bankruptcy looming. In the same book, he shares an episode:

“One night I had a dream. I was having returned books piled up in a square and set on fire. It was a dream where I was about to perish amidst the mountain of returned books. When the pile was burned, I felt sorry and apologized to the authors, saying, ‘Finally, we are going bankrupt. At least don’t put these books on the discount market.’ I was about to burn to death in that pile, but strangely, it wasn’t hot at all.

Then I suddenly woke up. Even in times like that, I would take out the carrying pole my father gave me and remind myself not to give up and feel motivated to try again.”

Legal Battle──A Promise to My Father?

The tenbinbō (carrying pole) is not merely a memento but embodies the resilient spirit of the Kadokawa family and represents the very management philosophy of Kadokawa Publishing.

Genyoshi Kadokawa passed away in 1975 at the age of 58. His eldest son, Haruki Kadokawa, who succeeded him, took a distinctly different path from his father and demonstrated bold managerial skills.

He ventured into film production and, using a media mix strategy that linked their publications with films, produced numerous big hits such as The Inugami Family (released in 1976), Proof of the Man (1977), and Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (1981). Taking on the role of executive producer himself, he attracted significant media attention with his flamboyant behavior and became a star in the publishing industry.

However, in August 1993, Haruki was arrested for violating the Narcotics Control Act and was forced to step down as president of Kadokawa Publishing. According to Haruki’s book My Struggle (published in 2005 by East Press), he appointed his younger brother, Tsunekiyo Kadokawa, as president to hold down the fort while he was imprisoned, but after his release, he was excluded from management.

Tsunekiyo Kadokawa, known as a steady and reliable manager, is said to have stabilized the chaotic company. He changed the company name to KADOKAWA and, through mergers such as the 2014 integration with Dwango and the expansion into anime and gaming, grew it into a giant media group that adapted to the digital age.

Meanwhile, the rift between the brothers only deepened. According to My Struggle, even at the funeral of their mother Teruko in 2004, they clashed bitterly.

“I had a definitive break with Tsunekiyo. It became impossible for the siblings to get along or for the Kadokawa family to unite as one.”

The final stage of this feud can be said to be the family heirloom—the tenbinbō.

After Genyoshi’s death, the tenbinbō was kept in the president’s office and displayed as a company symbol at anniversary ceremonies. However, in 2004, Tsunekiyo entrusted the management of the tenbinbō to the “Kadokawa Cultural Promotion Foundation,” which he was involved with, and since then the foundation has managed it.

In September 2023, Haruki filed a lawsuit against the Kadokawa Cultural Promotion Foundation demanding the return of the tenbinbō. His claim was based on a final promise made by their father Genyoshi. According to that promise, in 1975, while hospitalized with cancer, Genyoshi spoke to Haruki in the presence of their mother Teruko.

“When I pass away, I want you, Haruki, to cherish and keep the tenbinbō very carefully. Whenever you see it, always remember the origins of the Kadokawa family built by Genzaburo and the spirit behind it.” (from the court ruling)

There is no supporting evidence whatsoever

Haruki Kadokawa claimed that this statement falls under the civil law concept of deathbed gift (a contract of property transfer conditioned on the donor’s death), and that he acquired ownership of the tenbinbō (carrying pole) upon his father’s death. He also argued that the tenbinbō was a ritual tool used to honor ancestors and that he should inherit it as the ritual successor. Furthermore, citing the fact that the tenbinbō had been kept in the company president’s office for a long period, he claimed ownership through acquisitive prescription (a legal rule whereby long-term possession can lead to ownership even if one was not originally the owner).

However, the Tokyo District Court rejected all of Haruki’s claims. Regarding the core argument of deathbed gift, the court dismissed it as there is no supporting evidence whatsoever. The court based its judgment on Teruko’s (Haruki’s mother) nursing diary:

“Teruko’s nursing diary, which records the events from August 15 to October 27, 1975, during Genyoshi’s hospitalization, contains no record of Genyoshi expressing the intention to pass on the tenbinbō to the plaintiff (Haruki). Even if Genyoshi did express such intention to the plaintiff and Teruko heard it, it is unlikely that Teruko would have failed to record such an important fact in the nursing diary.” (From the judgment document)

In other words, the wife who cared for her husband would not have omitted such an important testament from her diary. Since there was no mention of it, Haruki’s testimony was deemed unacceptable.

Additionally, the court rejected the claim that the tenbinbō was a ritual tool:

“Genyoshi kept the tenbinbō in the company president’s office as a motivational symbol for the Kadokawa publishing business. Given the manner of storage and use, it is difficult to accept that Genyoshi offered the tenbinbō for ancestral worship.” (From the judgment document)

Thus, the court emphasized the fact that Genyoshi stored the tenbinbō in his office, not at home. The tenbinbō was considered a spiritual pillar for the business, not a religious ritual item.

Regarding acquisitive prescription, the court concluded:

“The plaintiff merely co-inherited possession rights to the tenbinbō and it cannot be recognized that the plaintiff exclusively possessed it independently.” (From the judgment document)

The item was not Haruki’s personal property but rather held on behalf of all heirs including Norihiko. Since it was not sole possession, acquisitive prescription did not apply.

Regarding the verdict, Haruki Kadokawa’s office responded, “We decline any interviews regarding this matter.” On the other hand, the Kadokawa Cultural Promotion Foundation said:

“The tenbinbō has been kept by our foundation continuously, and we will continue to keep it.”

One can only wonder what the spirit imbued in this old wooden pole thinks about the bitter fraternal conflict over it.