JAPAN: An Ex-Tokyo Olympics organising committee board member and 3 people from a clothing company, which was a surprise sponsor of the 2020 Games, were detained on bribery suspicions on August 17.

The prosecutors' office said that Haruyuki Takahashi, a former executive at the advertising firm Dentsu, "is suspected of collecting bribes from the former chairman of Aoki Holdings Inc. and two company workers."

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' dresses. Aoki is associated with Japan’s so-called “recruit suits” that youngsters fresh out of school wear for job interviews and their first jobs.

The bribery is said to be connected to Olympic-related goods and sponsorship of the Games. Although there have long been rumours of corruption among Olympic officials at the highest levels, the arrest is a setback for Japan's Olympic hopes.

For the Tokyo Games, Takahashi is credited for securing USD 3 billion in local sponsorships. The Winter Olympics in Sapporo in 2030 are another goal for Japan.

Aoki said that it was still investigating the situation and did not immediately have any comments. There was no immediate comment from the Japanese Olympic Committee. According to Japanese media reports, Takahashi stressed that he was compensated for his advisory services and denied any misconduct.
Tokyo hosted the Tokyo Games in the summer of 2021 to both praise and criticism. Due to the coronavirus epidemic, the event was postponed for a year and held without any public ticket sales.

That was disappointing because the Games were expected to boost tourism and highlight Japan's talent in a similar way to how the Tokyo Olympics of 1964 did.

The official price tag for the latest Tokyo Games was USD 13 billion, mainly public funds. That was double the initial estimate when the International Olympic Committee awarded Tokyo the Games, but less than the USD 25 billion some had predicted.

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