Photo/Illutration Prosecutors investigating an alleged bribery case related to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics arrive at the headquarters of Aoki Holdings Inc. in Yokohama on July 28 to search the premises. (Kaho Matsuda)

Where people gather, so, too, do business opportunities.

In the ancient Greek town of Olympia, the original home of the Olympic Games, artists promoted themselves by displaying their latest paintings to the public, according to “The Naked Olympics,” a book by Tony Perrottet.

One artist had his name embroidered in large letters on his clothing and gave away his works to upper class spectators, notes Perrottet, while others set up their paintings on the portico, turning it into a makeshift art gallery.

I find their endeavors rather endearing when I think of today’s Modern Olympics business, a seamy aspect of which has now come to light in Japan.

The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office started investigating when Haruyuki Takahashi, a senior board member of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics organizing committee, came under deepening suspicion of having received a huge payment from Aoki Holdings Inc., an apparel company, for its Olympics sponsorship contract.

Initially, prosecutors focused on 45 million yen ($344,178) Aoki Holdings allegedly paid to Takahashi as a consultancy fee over a period of about four years.

But now it seems that Takahashi pocketed as much as 230 million yen from the company for its sponsorship contract.

The sum in question was of a highly public nature. As such, I am unable to comprehend how so much money could have gone to just one individual, in this case Takahashi.

Was that amount meant as Takahashi’s “cut”? Or was the organizing committee unaware that it hadn’t received the full amount due from Aoki Holdings?

Could it be the committee actually was aware but kept silent? Is it at all possible that the 230 million yen was meant solely for Takahashi to siphon?

I am not suggesting that this incident alone has marred the image of the Olympic Games.

A decision was made to forge ahead with the Tokyo Olympics a year behind schedule even while the novel coronavirus pandemic was raging, but the behavior of some Olympic “aristocrats” was frankly appalling.

This latest money scandal is a major “crime” that has done even further damage to the Games’ already badly tarnished image.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Aug. 2

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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