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Kyoto cops nab ex-Toei Studios Kyoto exec in ¥80 million embezzlement

Yasuto Takemura
Yasuto Takemura

KYOTO (TR) – Kyoto Prefectural Police have arrested a former executive at Toei Studios Kyoto for allegedly inflating production budgets and receiving kickbacks from a subcontractor, report the Yomiuri Shimbun (Oct. 3).

For an anime event on September 4 of last year, Yasuto Takemura, a 54-year-old former division head, is alleged to have fraudulently inflated the number of employees from a sub-contractor required for an illustration job from seven to 17, boosting the cost to Toei Studios Kyoto from 630,000 yen to 850,000 yen. The suspect then received a kickback from the sub-contractor.

Takemura, who has been charged with aggravated breach of trust under the Companies Act, admits to the allegations. “I did it for living expenses,” the suspect is quoted by the Ukyo Police Station.

In May of last year, the studio uncovered embezzlement of 10 million yen by Takemura after receiving an anonymous tip. He was fired six months later. A criminal complaint was filed with police this past June, according to the Mainichi Shimbun (Oct. 3).

Over a 10-year period, the studio believes Takemura pulled similar scams in which the damage totals approximately 80 million yen, according to TV Asahi (Oct. 3).

Takemura joined Toei Studios Kyoto in June of 2001. Two years ago, he was promoted to division head. Last year, he participated in the opening of a samurai drama studio in Tokyo’s Roppongi Hills in conjunction with YouTube.