Ex-chairman of anime and publishing giant KADOKAWA, Tsuguhiko Kadokawa, predicts that short anime and generative AI will drive Japanese content forward.
He was arrested in September 2022 on allegations of bribing an executive related to the Tokyo Olympics in exchange for KADOKAWA receiving preferential sponsorship treatment.
He was later charged by prosecutors and stepped down as chairman of the company on October 4, 2022. He denies the charge. KADOKAWA’s current CEO, Takeshi Natsuno, confirmed as recently as March 2025 that Tsuguhiko is barred from meeting with him and is not involved in the company (Toyo Keizai). Despite Tsuguhiko’s lack of involvement with KADOKAWA, which is active in conventional and short anime while also “actively investing” in AI for production, his words underscore a growing trend.
If Kadokawa says that, it will end up overexploiting it like the Isekais, as well as the CGI.
it’s not, it’s an ex executive. I surmise he’s no longer there for a very obvious reason.
From the article.
seems like the guy just wants to hurt kadokawa and the industry at large because he was caught doing something he shouldn’t have been doing.