Asia News: Scandalous Dress Costs Kanye; Clapton At The Budokan; GnR In Korea

JAPAN

Clapton Budokan Residency Expands

Japanese promoter Udo Artists has announced two shows added to Eric Clapton’s upcoming residency at Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan arena this April. The new performances will take place April 26-27. A few tickets are still available for April 14, 16, 21 and 24, while the April 18 and 19 shows are sold out. Tickets for the added shows go on sale March 1. 

Dentsu Fined, Exec Sentenced In Olympics Bid-Rigging Case

On Jan. 30, the Tokyo District Court fined Dentsu Group Inc., Japan’s largest advertising company, 300 million yen ($1.94 million) for its part in rigging bids for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, which actually took place in 2021. In addition, former Dentsu executive Koji Hemmi was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for four years, for “rigging bids on contracts to plan test events and operate venues” for the games, according to Kyodo News. 

Dentsu is the third company convicted in the bid-rigging scheme. Six companies have been indicted. The company and Hemmi have appealed the ruling.

During the trial, Dentsu admitted to rigging bids to the tune of more than 500 million yen for planning and running pre-games test events, but “denied colluding with others to restrict transactions” for billions of yen in contracts related to operations of the Games. Prosecutors argued otherwise, saying that planning and managing the games were the same thing and thus “restricted competition.” Prosecution based part of the argument on the testimony of a former operating executive of the organizing committee who had already been found guilty of bid-rigging. 

Dentsu supposedly limited competition by “indicating in meetings that bids were more likely to be accepted if firms submitted tenders” that matched the organizing committee’s wishes. 

Scandalous Grammy Dress Costs Ye

The Daily Mail reports that Kanye West has lost out on a reported $20 million deal to perform in Japan after his appearance at the most recent Grammy Awards ceremony with his partner, Bianca Censori. West had signed a contract for two concerts in May at Tokyo Dome, but when he appeared with Censori at the red carpet event at the Grammys, Censori was wearing a completely transparent dress that scandalized the music industry, including the investors who had finalized the deal in Tokyo. 

One “insider” told the Daily Mail, “The investors in Japan who are backing the concerts are extremely upset by this. It is highly likely they will pull funding for the shows. He has greatly misjudged the tolerance of the Japanese people towards these activities.”

West has been living in Japan for about a year, and recently held a “listening event” in Tokyo.

MACAU

Gaming Stays Soft, Hopes For New Year Rebound

Macau’s gaming industry continues to lose steam, it appears. Gaming revenue for the Chinese territory decreased by 5.6% in January, a sign that China’s weak consumer sentiment is keeping the gambling hub from recovering fully after the pandemic.

The Bangkok Post reports that gross revenue reached the equivalent of $2.3 billion for January, according to the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau. Though the amount represents a 0.9% increase year-on-year according to analysts, it is still 27% lower than pre-pandemic levels in 2019. 

Most experts agree that the slow recovery is a reflection of China’s general economic slowdown, which has curbed consumer spending. Revenues normally pick up during the eight-day Lunar New Year holiday in early February, so industry people are hoping for a big improvement. Hotels are almost fully booked.

Macau is working hard to diversify its economy by offering more concerts, sporting events and conferences in a bid to boost non-gambling tourism. As it stands, Beijing is already trying discourage gambling so as to limit capital outflow from the mainland. 

KOREA

GNR To Headline Moonlight Festival

South Korea’s 8 PM Entertainment has announced that Guns N’ Roses will headline the Songdo Moonlight Festival in Incheon on May 1 as part of the band’s 2025 world tour. It will be GNR’s first appearance in Korea since 2009, which was also its first concert in the country. At that time, the only original member was Axl Rose, but for Songdo, original guitarist Slash and original bassist Duff McKagan will also be on board. s