Tokyo Women’s Medical University, the scene of the embezzlement case involving the former chairperson (photo: Afro) The words “Tokyo Detention House” appear on the complaint Kenko Iwamoto (78 at the time of arrest), the former chairperson of Tokyo Women’s Medical University (Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo), was arrested in January this year and indicted in February on suspicion of embezzling approximately ¥287 million related to the construction of a new campus building. The university, which had previously been run under her authoritarian leadership, filed a civil lawsuit in August seeking about ¥243 million in damages against Iwamoto. Court documents obtained by FRIDAY Digital reveal the dramatic fall of the empress of the university. Iwamoto, who once represented the university and sued critical alumni for defamation, is now on the receiving end of litigation, being pursued for questionable financial maneuvers carried out during her tenure as chairperson. On August 12, 2025, a damages lawsuit was filed at the Tokyo District Court. The plaintiff is Tokyo Women’s Medical University, and the defendant is former chairperson Iwamoto. The complaint lists Iwamoto’s address as: 1-35-1 Kosuge, Katsushika Ward, Tokyo Detention House “At present, the defendant has been indicted on suspicion of embezzlement and is detained at Tokyo Detention House.” As of at least August, Iwamoto was being held in detention on suspicion of embezzlement related to the new campus construction. This civil lawsuit is separate from the criminal case, with the university seeking compensation for losses caused by past improper expenditures. The amount claimed totals ¥243,203,181. Why was the lawsuit filed more than six months after the arrest? In response to FRIDAY Digital, the university’s public relations office explained: “Some of the materials that had been seized in connection with the arrest and indictment were returned. Based on these, we reviewed whether to file a lawsuit and ultimately proceeded.” In other words, the lawsuit was filed once the immovable evidence seized by the police was returned to the university, allowing them to proceed with confidence.