Japanese advertising agency group Dentsu has been banned from bidding for Expo 2025 contracts following allegations of corruption linked to test events prior to the Tokyo Olympic Games.
World Expo 2025 will be held in Osaka, with the city and organisers of the Expo stating they will not award any new contracts to Dentsu for the next 12 months while the investigation into the bid rigging scandal continues.
Japanese advertising agency Hakuhodo has also been banned from bidding for contracts for Expo 25 following similar corruption allegations linked to the Olympics.
However, there are concerns the ban will put off some exhibitors who may be worried their investment will not generate the PR hoped for. To date 142 countries have stated they will participate.
“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,” Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura said.
