Tokyo Olympic scandals put marketing giant Dentsu’s business in spotlight

Allegations of corruption in Olympic sponsorships involving former Dentsu director Haruyuki Takahashi have put the firm’s overwhelming grip on Japan’s sports marketing sector in the spotlight.

Through its role as the exclusive agent, Dentsu secured a record of around ¥370 billion ($2.8 billion based on current exchange rates) in marketing revenue for the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, a committee upon which Takahashi was an executive.