Ex-Takenaka manager admits breach of trust over Osaka Expo

Osaka – A former manager at major Japanese general contractor Takenaka admitted on Thursday to having a subcontractor submit inflated bills for construction work related to the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka.

Tatsumi Kawai, 61, acknowledged the breach of trust charges against him at the first hearing at Osaka District Court over allegedly causing financial damage to the Osaka-based company.

According to the indictment and other sources, Kawai conspired with the head of a construction company in Nara Prefecture to pad costs for a temporary office at the Expo venue between February and June last year.

Part of the overstated amount is believed to have been used to fund renovations at his home in the city of Nara and a cafe run by his relatives, causing Takenaka losses totaling ¥13.6 million, investigative sources said.