Tokyo Olympics bribery scandal widens as Osaka-based ad firm raided
The Japan TimesSep 05, 2022
Japanese prosecutors on Tues. re-arrested a board member of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Haruyuki Takahashi, along with two other officials as part of a widening bribery investigation.
The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office has also arrested former Kadokawa Corp executive Toshiyuki Yoshihara, and another unnamed individual, for bribing Takahashi, who served on the Executive Board of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee.
While it is unforgivable that a handful of companies and individuals behind the scenes were using the games for their own personal profit, we should not dismiss everything about such a successful event. Tokyo 2020 is hardly the first event to be tainted by scandal, but this is a good opportunity to protect future Olympics and prevent future wrongdoings.
With bribery allegations against senior members of the Tokyo Olympics committee continuing to grow, this scandal is likely a setback to Japan's ambitions in pursuing the 2030 Winter Olympics for Sapporo, as well as a blow to Japan's international reputation.