Suruga Bank wins partial victory in share house loan lawsuit

On October 31, 2025, Suruga Bank announced that the Shizuoka District Court delivered a judgment in its lawsuit against former directors concerning the share house loan issue. The bank's claims against several former directors were partially upheld, with others dismissed.

The judgment found former director Mitsuki Okuno liable for JPY 1.335 bn out of a JPY 3.5 bn claim. Additionally, former directors Yoshihiro Okazaki, Nobuaki Yanagisawa, Toshihiko Shirai, Hiroaki Yoneyama, and Kazuya Mochizuki were each found liable for JPY 1 bn out of JPY 1.1 bn claims. These six individuals were also held liable for an additional JPY 335.2m each due to expanded claims from a shareholder participation lawsuit.

This ruling confirms that these former directors bear responsibility for damages to Suruga Bank due to breaches of their duty of care in their execution of duties related to the share house loans. Suruga Bank stated it will carefully review the judgment and consult with its legal representatives to determine its future course of action.