Japan's "Don Juan of Kishu" left his fortune to his town; his widow was acquitted of killing him and may still inherit half

Kosuke Nozaki, a Wakayama businessman who called himself the "Don Juan of Kishu," died in 2018 at 77, a few months after marrying Saki Sudo, who was more than 50 years younger^†. He died of acute methamphetamine poisoning^†. A handwritten will left his fortune, put at 1.3 billion to 1.5 billion yen, to the city of Tanabe. His relatives sued, saying the will was fake. The Wakayama District Court upheld the will in June 2024, finding the handwriting had Nozaki's own features. The Osaka High Court dismissed the relatives' appeal on 19 September (2025)^†, saying a resemblance to another signature was not proof of forgery. Sudo was charged with his murder. The Wakayama District Court acquitted her on 12 December 2024. On 23 March 2026 the Osaka High Court rejected the prosecution's appeal, which had sought life imprisonment, saying the evidence raised "strong suspicion" but no proof. Sudo was convicted separately of fraud and sentenced to three years and six months. Under Japanese law a surviving spouse keeps a reserved share even against a will, and reports say she could receive half the estate.