A landmark war reparations ruling that forced Japan’s Mitsui OSK to pay millions of dollars to the descendants of a Chinese shipping tycoon has been stymied by that most prosaic of reasons: family squabbling over how to split the spoils.

The row broke out after a 70 year battle pursued through the courts of Tokyo and Shanghai ended with the award of ￥4bn compensation to the descendants of Chinese shipping tycoon Chen Shuntong, whose ships had been commandeered by the Japanese navy and lost during the war.

But rather than bring cheer, the victory has sown discord among the growing ranks of descendants and creditors. Those suing for a share of the spoils included a creditor claiming to be owed money by Chen’s grandson — in a case since rebuffed — and another claiming to be an illegitimate grandson.