Japan's 'gentleman' equestrian at heart of Olympics corruption probe

Sacrificial lamb.

Seems more like an article praising the man for his elite upbringing and once "royal" status, inferring that he is beyond reproach and there is no way he could have done any of this that he is accused of!

If he isnt guilty of anything, then stay! Particularly now with the Olympics less than one year away!

In my opinion, he sounds like a naive man, who may unwittingly authorized payments for what he may have truly thought was legal.

Whether he organised or made the payment himself he still was aware of it. Therefore, he is guilty.

Another day in Japan, another corruption scandal.

Wait. I thought he was long gone.

Disillusioned:

he is guilty

Is he not innocent till proven guilty by the justice system?

socrateos: Is he not innocent till proven guilty by the justice system?

Sure he is, in a court room. But on a discussion board that wants our opinions that is what you get. Mine is he is guilty as is obvious for his awareness of the situation and did nothing.

Three former staffers interviewed by Reuters use the word "gentleman" to describe him, a reference to both his aristocratic lineage and his temperament.

This aristocratic lineage includes his father, Prince Tsuneyoshi Takeda. Takeda held

"executive responsibilities over Unit 731 in his role as chief financial officer of the Kwantung Army. Unit 731 conducted biological weapons research on human subjects with a variety of bacterial cultures and viruses during World War II. According to Daniel Barenblatt, Takeda received, with Prince Mikasa, a special screening by Shirō Ishii of a film showing imperial planes loading germ bombs for bubonic plague dissemination over the Chinese city of Ningbo in 1940.

Moreover, historian Hal Gold has alleged in his work "Unit 731 Testimony" that Prince Takeda had a more active role as "Lieutenant Colonel Miyata" – an officer in the Strategic Section of the Operations Division. Gold reports the testimony of a veteran of the Youth Corps of this unit, who testified in July 1994 in Morioka during a traveling exhibition on Shirō Ishii's experiments, that Takeda watched while outside poison gas tests were made on thirty prisoners near Anda. After the war, a staff photographer also recalled the day the Prince visited Unit 731's facility at Pingfang, Manchukuo and had his picture taken at the gates."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Tsuneyoshi_Takeda

So his dad was chief financial officer of the Kwantung Army. One wonders if he passed on the financial acumen he learned in China to his son?

He may be a gentleman, but his son isn't. He's a nationalist hack.

As the position is now vacant, and the hiring criteria public record I'd like to put myself forward, I like unicorns!, although never had a failed stabe. My decedent was a chief of a small village and legend says he was himself descended from the Great "Bob the wizard". im told im a gentleman and sporting wise I spent a summer taking oranges to the players. More than enough to fill the criteria I think.

"I did not personally have any involvement in the decision-making process,"

But you were the chief and the ultimate responsibility lies with you.

Of course, this guy is effectively immune from prosecution under the partial and biased Japanese "justice" system.

Ha, the way I read this blurb is this guy has rode the life of privilege & ever since he got off his Olympic horse HE has been involved in DODGY business deals, one of which is 2020, the guy shows a CLEAR pattern of bad possibly illegal decision.

lets hope the courts get it right!  HAHA a guy can dream right!

Japan won the 2020 Olympics on its own merit. I am convinced the $2 Million paid by the JOC to voting members of IOC was simply for legitimate gifts. I hope Takeda-san clears his name of these unfair corruption allegations. Good luck "Gentleman" Takeda.

Why would you call your undercover bribery company "Black Tidings"?

@ Alfie Noakes excellent sleuthing. thank you

Japan won the 2020 Olympics on its own merit.

cough, dude dont do that I almost choked on my bento

Will he be locked up fot 23 days re-arrested twice, denied bail, interrogated relentlessly, finally be given bail at an inflated amount, then fobidden to cntact his spouse.

Of course not. This is Japan.

Scapegoat.

if he is innocent, why does he has to resign ???.

Why is there no mention of Dentsu in this article? 

Black Tidings website (which I screen-grabbed at the time) clearly showed the agency had commercial

representation rights to both IAAF and FINA in Asia. Dentsu had the master agreement with both organisations. 

Black Tidings also claimed to offer an outsourced production capability for Dentsu in regard to IAAF and FINA events.

Dentsu had extensive links with both the Diacks and the IOC and IOC members over many years.

Takeda will have no direct knowledge of what happened, just a generalised acceptance that things are ‘managed’ on his behalf. 

Takeda may be guilty of sovereign indolence, but please use your journalistic skills to paint the full picture. 

Any journalist who does not reference Dentsu in respect of this is guilty of the same crime as Takeda.

On the broader point, I’m one with jpn guy above in asking why so little critical scrutiny is brought to this in public life. In the UK - despite the laughing stock of our leadership at the moment - this matter would be pursued relentlessly, especially as it relates to a national project which is supposed to showcase Japanese values. What Japanese leaders do not appear to understand is that their complicity in the cover up paints a very unhealthy picture of how business is done in Japan.

Ganbare Japan: " I am convinced the $2 Million paid by the JOC to voting members of IOC was simply for legitimate gifts. I hope Takeda-san clears his name of these unfair corruption allegations."

It doesn't matter the lengths you go convince yourself of lies, they are still lies. This once hero is as human as everyone else, not a god, and unfortunately he took the easy and corrupt road instead of holding to the ideals you proclaim him to have when he does not.

No surprise Japan got the bid, and this man's name will be in the history books as being one of them: corruption.