Osaka to Cut Hakuhodo from Business Linked to 2025 Expo

Osaka, March 1 (Jiji Press)--The western Japan city of Osaka will exclude major advertising agency Hakuhodo Inc. from business related to the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, its mayor told reporters Wednesday.

In a related move, the city suspended Hakuhodo and industry peer Tokyu Agency Inc. from bidding for contracts linked to the city for a year starting Tuesday this week for their involvement in a bid-rigging scandal over the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games held in 2021.

Osaka Mayor Ichiro Matsui said the city will terminate its existing contract related to the Osaka Expo with a business consortium including Hakuhodo, since the deal “will not be able to obtain understanding from taxpayers.”

The consortium signed a negotiated contract with an organization linked to the city and Osaka Prefecture to take on coordination tasks related to the Expo’s Osaka pavilion.

The contract was to be renewed every fiscal year. The total contract period from fiscal 2022 was slated to continue until fiscal 2025.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]