Abe's Direct Call to "Olympic Bid Keyman" Rings Hollow

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s recent direct call to “the keyman of the Olympic bid”, former Dentsu executive Tsunekazu Takeda, has been met with criticism and skepticism. The call was made in response to a tweet from Takeda that stated “I will do my best not to be caught” in reference to the ongoing investigation into allegations of bribery related to Tokyo’s successful bid for the 2022 Olympics. The investigation has been ongoing since December 2018 and is being conducted by French authorities. In April 2019, Takeda resigned from his post as president of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC). Since then, he has refused all requests for interviews and comment on the matter. Abe’s call was seen as an attempt to show support for Takeda and deflect attention away from the scandal. However, many have questioned why Abe would make such a call when there is still an ongoing investigation into potential wrongdoing. Furthermore, it has raised questions about whether or not Abe is trying to interfere with the investigation or protect those involved in it. Critics have also pointed out that this is not the first time that Abe has come under fire for his handling of Olympic-related matters. In 2016, he was accused of pressuring public broadcaster NHK into changing its coverage of Rio de Janeiro's successful bid for the 2020 Olympics after Japan lost out on hosting rights. This latest incident only serves to further fuel suspicions that Abe may be attempting to cover up any potential wrongdoing related to Tokyo's successful bid for 2022. Despite these criticisms, Abe remains adamant that his call was made out of genuine concern for Takeda and his family rather than any ulterior motives. However, until more information comes out regarding this scandal it will remain unclear what role if any Prime Minister Shinzo Abe played in securing Tokyo's successful bid for 2022 Olympics or if he had any knowledge about alleged bribery related activities surrounding it.