Ex-Asahi Kasei employee re-arrested over second semiconductor data leak
Version 2: New details have filled in the re-arrest: Aichi prefectural police announced the case, the suspect’s career and the Pymel product were identified, Asahi Kasei said both leaks went to the same Chinese company, and prosecutors suspended a disposition on the earlier charge.
In short
Aichi prefectural police re-arrested 66-year-old Shoichi Furukawa, a former Asahi Kasei employee, on Oct. 7 on suspicion of disclosing trade secrets related to a photosensitive insulating material used in semiconductor manufacturing. Police allege he took a hard disk containing quality control information when he retired in 2018 and emailed it to an overseas company official in September 2024. Asahi Kasei has said the information went to a Chinese company, and Furukawa had already been arrested in September 2026 over a separate semiconductor-related leak.
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Aichi prefectural police said on Oct. 7 that they had re-arrested Shoichi Furukawa, 66, a former Asahi Kasei employee living in Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture, on suspicion of violating the Unfair Competition Prevention Act by disclosing trade secrets, according to Sankei Shimbun and Asahi Shimbun. The case concerns information related to an insulating material used in semiconductor manufacturing, the two outlets reported. Police have not disclosed whether Furukawa admits or denies the allegations, nor where the information went, the same outlets said, while Asahi Kasei has said the information was confirmed to have leaked to a Chinese company. [ 4 , 6 ]
According to police accounts cited by Sankei Shimbun and Asahi Shimbun, Furukawa is suspected of taking home a company-issued hard disk containing quality control information about the photosensitive insulating material when he left Asahi Kasei around Nov. 30, 2018, and of sending the information by email to an official of an overseas company around Sept. 12, 2024. Nippon TV News reported that the email was sent in September 2024 to a person at another company and described the material as used in semiconductor manufacturing, while the TBS NEWS DIG summary described the hard disk as containing technical information on the photosensitive insulating material. [ 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
The material is sold under the product name “Pymel”, a liquid product used for protective films on the surface of semiconductor elements and one of Asahi Kasei’s main products in its semiconductor-related business, Asahi Shimbun reported, citing the company; the leaked information concerned raw materials useful for quality control. Furukawa joined the company in 1984, worked in research and development on Pymel and served as factory manager of a Pymel production plant from 2005 to 2009, according to Asahi Shimbun. Sankei Shimbun reported he retired at the end of November 2018. [ 4 , 6 ]
The re-arrest concerns a leak separate from the one for which he was arrested in September 2026, when police suspected him of emailing information about another product used in semiconductor manufacturing to an overseas company, Asahi Shimbun reported; police said the recipient was the same email address as in the new case. Sankei Shimbun reported that Asahi Kasei said both leaks went to the same Chinese company, and Nippon TV News also reported the company’s statement on a Chinese destination. Nippon TV News added that Furukawa traveled to China several times after leaving Asahi Kasei and that police received a consultation about an information leak from another company in Nagoya where he worked after retiring; police are looking into whether money changed hands and into his motive. Asahi Shimbun reported that the Nagoya District Public Prosecutors Office suspended a disposition on the earlier charge on Oct. 7. [ 2 , 4 , 6 ]
Asahi Kasei apologized and pledged preventive measures, saying it would thoroughly implement steps to prevent recurrence and work to strengthen corporate ethics and governance, according to Sankei Shimbun and Asahi Shimbun. Asahi Shimbun quoted the company as saying it was sorry for “great trouble and concern”. [ 4 , 6 ]
Why it matters
The case concerns the exposure of semiconductor material technology held by a major Japanese chemical maker, with the company saying the information reached a Chinese company. It also points to a wider police inquiry: officers are examining more than one suspected leak by the same former employee, including a consultation from a different company in Nagoya where he worked after retiring.
Key facts
- Aichi prefectural police re-arrested Shoichi Furukawa, 66, on Oct. 7 on suspicion of violating the Unfair Competition Prevention Act by disclosing trade secrets. [ 4 , 6 ]
- He is suspected of taking a hard disk holding quality control information about a photosensitive insulating material when he retired from Asahi Kasei around Nov. 30, 2018, and emailing the information to an overseas company official around Sept. 12, 2024. [ 4 , 6 ]
- Police have not disclosed whether he admits or denies the allegations, nor where the information went. [ 4 , 6 ]
- Asahi Kasei said the information was confirmed to have leaked to a Chinese company, and Sankei Shimbun reported the company said both leaks went to the same Chinese company. [ 2 , 4 , 6 ]
- Furukawa had already been arrested in September 2026 over a separate semiconductor-related trade secret leak. [ 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- The Nagoya District Public Prosecutors Office suspended a disposition on the earlier charge on Oct. 7. [ 6 ]
- The material is sold under the product name “Pymel”, a liquid product used for protective films on semiconductor elements and one of Asahi Kasei’s main semiconductor-related products. [ 6 ]
- Asahi Kasei apologized and said it would thoroughly implement preventive measures and work to strengthen corporate ethics and governance. [ 4 , 6 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Aichi prefectural police re-arrested a former Asahi Kasei employee on Oct. 7 on suspicion of violating the Unfair Competition Prevention Act over the disclosure of trade secrets. [ 4 , 6 ]
- The suspect is Shoichi Furukawa, 66, who joined Asahi Kasei in 1984 and retired at the end of November 2018. [ 4 , 6 ]
- The alleged leak involved quality control information on a photosensitive insulating material used in semiconductor manufacturing, taken on a hard disk and emailed to an overseas company official in September 2024. [ 2 , 4 , 6 ]
- Asahi Kasei said the information leaked to a Chinese company. [ 2 , 4 , 6 ]
- Furukawa had already been arrested in September 2026 over a separate semiconductor-related trade secret. [ 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- Police have not disclosed whether Furukawa admits or denies the allegations. [ 2 , 4 , 6 ]
Still unclear
- Whether Furukawa admits or denies the allegations Police have not disclosed his response, according to Nippon TV News, Sankei Shimbun and Asahi Shimbun.
- Whether money changed hands in the alleged leak, and the suspect’s motive Police are still investigating, according to Nippon TV News.
- The identity of the company that received the information Police have not disclosed the leak destination; the documents only cite Asahi Kasei’s statement that the information went to a Chinese company.
- What the other product at the centre of the September arrest was Asahi Shimbun describes it only as a different product used in semiconductor manufacturing; the name of the Nagoya company where he later worked is also not given.
- Whether the two suspected leaks are linked beyond reaching the same destination Outlets report the same recipient address and, per Asahi Kasei, the same Chinese company, but police have not disclosed the destination or a link.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Tokyo Shimbun publishes its report on the re-arrest of a former Asahi Kasei employee over suspected semiconductor information leakage. [ 1 ]
- Nippon TV News names the suspect as Shoichi Furukawa, 66, and describes the alleged 2018 data theft and the 2024 email. [ 2 ]
- Nishi-Nippon Shimbun publishes its report on the re-arrest. [ 3 ]
- Sankei Shimbun reports that Aichi prefectural police re-arrested Furukawa and that Asahi Kasei said both leaks went to the same Chinese company. [ 4 ]
- TBS NEWS DIG publishes a summary on the re-arrest over separate semiconductor technology information. [ 5 ]
- Asahi Shimbun publishes its account, including the product name “Pymel”, the suspect’s career at the company and the prosecutors’ disposition on the earlier charge the same day. [ 6 ]
- Around this date, the suspect retired from Asahi Kasei, allegedly taking a company-issued hard disk containing quality control information on the photosensitive insulating material. [ 4 , 6 ]
- Around this date, the suspect allegedly emailed the information to an official of an overseas company. [ 4 , 6 ]