bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Kyodo

Prosecutors arrested on Friday executives from two of four major Japanese contractors suspected of involvement in bid rigging for construction work on the Tokyo-Osaka maglev train link.
Tokyo prosecutors arrested former Taisei managing director Takashi Okawa, 67, and Kajima’s division manager Ichiro Osawa, 60, on suspicion of breaching antitrust regulations.
Between 2014 and 2015, the two allegedly discussed prices with officials of Obayashi Corporation and Shimizu Corporation and conspired to determine which company would win orders ahead of the tenders issued by Central Japan Railway Company.

According to JR Central, two joint ventures led by Shimizu and Obayashi won orders for work at Shinagawa station in 2015, while a joint venture led by Obayashi won a contract for work at Nagoya station in 2016.
Since 2015, JR Central and the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency have placed construction orders related to the maglev project.
The four contractors each won three or four orders out of 15 to build the high-speed rail line before the prosecutors searched the firms late last year.
The government has provided a total of 3 trillion yen (US$28 billion) for the 9 trillion yen project, which will connect Tokyo and Osaka, about 500km west of the capital, in about an hour.


China’s turbocharged EV market hits a speed bump amid falling sales and rising costs

Tesla, Xiaomi vie for Chinese EV buyers with cheaper, longer loans

Chinese EV makers’ shares skid as sales slide after tax incentive ends

How Tesla’s AI shift is prompting Chinese rivals to expand tech offerings

Future of transport

Japanese maglev contractor managers arrested over bid-rigging

File photo of an experimental maglev train on a test line in Tsuru in the central Japan prefecture of Yamanashi. Photo: Kyodo

Heavy machinery is parked at the construction site of an evacuation exit on the underground route for the maglev train in Nagoya on Dec. 11, 2017. Major construction firm Obayashi Corp. has allegedly been involved in controversy related to a project contract. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

News

Asia

East Asia

Japan