Japan's Olympic sponsors are scaling back advertising campaigns and delaying marketing events for this year's Summer Games, concerned that public sentiment toward the event is souring amid a fresh wave of COVID-19.
Sponsors also worry that organizers have not told them what contingency plans there are in case the pandemic derails the games again this year.
That uncertainty over the Olympics marks a fresh blow to domestic sponsors, including many of the nation's biggest companies, such as Canon Inc. and Japan Airlines Co., who have collectively pitched in more than $3 billion (about ¥314 billion) to support the event.