Overview

• On Sept. 19, the Osaka High Court affirmed the Wakayama District Court’s decision and dismissed the brothers’ appeal, with Presiding Judge Kenji Tanaka ruling the will valid.
• The will, written on plain white paper in red ink with a date, signature, and seal, states that the individual’s entire estate will be donated to Tanabe City.
• The court found no unreasonable points in the handwriting examination and noted the flowing script matched Kosuke Nozaki’s known writing.
• The judgment concluded Nozaki authored and sealed the document and entrusted it, along with an impression certificate issued at his direction, to a male director of his company.
• Tanabe City previously said it would accept the roughly ¥13 billion bequest, which is currently under attorneys’ management pending further procedures.