The indictment of Dentsu and Hakuhodo by Tokyo prosecutors for alleged bid-rigging around contracts for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is expected to impact not only the sports world but also add to the woes of the already troubled 2025 Osaka Expo.
The move by the prosecutors last week led Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura to declare Wednesday that Dentsu and Hakuhodo would be excluded for one year from participating in expo preparations, despite the likely impact of their absence given the size and experience of the two advertising giants.
“There aren’t that many large Japanese advertising firms (like Dentsu and Hakuhodo), so excluding them from expo contracts means there will be an effect on preparations,” Yoshimura told reporters.