Dentsu evacuated Tokyo HQ over bomb threat

As if the world couldn't get any more chaotic, last week, the largest agency in Japan received a bomb threat and evacuated its building.

According to Japan Times, 

In an email to employees, Japan's largest advertising agency cited a message sent to its website that said: "Warning of explosion at Dentsu's Shiodome headquarters building with deadline past 7:00 a.m. on June 7, Sunday."

A company source said the threat was made as a posting with a personal name attached on the website on Friday morning. The message also said "a bad company that disturbs the world will be disciplined," the source said.

While the office of 5,000 remained closed over the weekend, many of its employees have been working from home since February, due to the Covid outbreak.

The news comes as the Japanese government launches a probe into "the outsourcing process for administrative work related to its coronavirus relief package that was later subcontracted to Japan's largest ad agency Dentsu," according to The Mainichi.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry contracted a group called the Service Design Engineering Council to implement the program for 76.9 billion yen, only for the group to subcontract the task to the advertising agency for 74.9 billion yen.

Opposition lawmakers and other critics have accused the group of being a front to syphon off taxpayers' money without providing any actual services.

Much like in the United States, efforts to provide relief for small businesses in Japan appears to be chaotic, with many insinuations that the biggest businesses are also the biggest benefactors.

Despite denials, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that there have been any issues, the ministry will utilize independent auditors to make sure the contract is above board.

Like most stocks, Dentsu took a beating at the beginning of the year, but has been on a steady rise since late April. No doubt investors will be watching to see how this situation turns out.