A former Tokyo Olympic organising committee board member and three people from a clothing company that was a surprise sponsor of the 2020 Games were arrested on bribery suspicions Wednesday.
Haruyuki Takahashi, a former executive at advertising company Dentsu, is suspected of receiving bribes from the former head of Aoki Holdings Inc and two company employees, the prosecutors' office said.
The company that makes affordable business suits was a surprise pick to dress the Japanese Olympic team, when other nations had top fashion brands designing athletes' outfits. Aoki is linked with Japan's so-called recruit suits that youngsters fresh out of school wear for job interviews and their first jobs.
The bribery is believed to be linked to sponsorship of the Games and products related to the Olympics. Although corruption at top places among Olympic officials had long been rumoured, the arrest comes as a blow to Japan's Olympic ambitions.
Takahashi is credited with landing $3 billion in local sponsorships for the Tokyo Games. Japan also is pursuing the 2030 Winter Olympics for Sapporo.
Aoki said it was still looking into the matter and did not have immediate comment. The Japanese Olympic Committee was not immediately available for comment.
Japanese media reports said Takahashi denied wrongdoing, stressing he was paid for consulting services.
Tokyo played host to the Tokyo Games with much fanfare, as well as criticism, in summer 2021. The event was postponed for a year and held with no public ticket sales because of the coronavirus pandemic.
That came as a disappointment, as the Games were supposed to have drummed up tourism revenue, and put the spotlight on Japan's prowess in a similar way as did the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
The official price tag for the latest Tokyo Games was $13 billion, mostly public money. That was double the initial estimate when the International Olympic Committee awarded Tokyo the Games, but less than the $25 billion some had predicted.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
You’ve hit your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Quarterly Starter
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online
Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app