Doubts about the bidding for the construction of the Osaka Expo "Rest Area 2", and the construction project will break the momentum again?
In the construction work of "Rest Area 2," one of the young architect projects of the Osaka Expo, "Sumitomo Trading" (Akita City), which has a close relationship with the architect Kohei Kudo (Kohei Kudo Architects), won the bid for 422 million yen in a general competitive bidding in November 2023. In August 2022, Mr. Kudo was selected as the designer of "Rest Area 2".
This problem surfaced on August 26, 2024, when an article was published in the web media "Nikkei Cross Tech" in which Mr. Kudo explained the design of "Rest Area 2". insert It was triggered by what was done. He showed off a bizarre design that hung 750 stones using a building technique called "pergola", and after that, voices questioned the sense of taste on SNS "X", and violations of the Building Standards Law were pointed out, and Mr. Kudo posted that the Nikkei article was misleading. As long as there are no problems with building laws, the quality of the design will be debated because it reflects the subjectivity of each person.
On the other hand, in the same article, it was explained that "the construction costs such as construction and removal were won by Sumiken Trading for 422 million yen, and the completion is scheduled for December 2024," and doubts were raised about the relationship between Mr. Kudo and Sumiken Trading in "X". The Nikkei Cross Tech article (free public part) does not touch on that point. In addition, the Nikkei Group TEAM EXPO 2025 Sponsors Are.
Good Travel News Editorial Department Sumikan Trading Official Website When we checked the construction results of about 60 projects listed on the website, we were able to confirm that Mr. Kudo and his architectural firm were in charge of the design in 18 cases from September 2018 ~ March 2023. Since Mr. Kudo became involved in the construction of Juken Trading, the field of architecture has expanded and the design has improved, and his ability and contribution to the business are measured. In addition, it was confirmed that the representative director of Sumiken Trading is "Gensei Kudo" and has the same surname.
In addition, the location of the company's Tokyo branch coincided with the location of the head office of Kohei Kudo Architects. In addition, The firm's official website You can confirm that Mr. Kudo is from Akita City and that he has offices in Akita City in addition to Tokyo. On the evening of the 28th, the editorial department contacted Kohei Kudo Architects and Architects and asked about the relationship with Sumiken Trading, but they replied, "I can't answer because the person in charge is not available."
Materials such as construction orders on the official website of Osaka City (Expo Association HP data dated February 22, 2024) A project of a young architect responsible for 20 facilities You can check the list of bidding results for construction work such as "Rest Area 1 ~ Rest Area 4", "Gallery", and "Toilet". In this context, the successful bidding of Sumitomo Construction Trading, which has a close relationship with the designer, in the bidding for the construction of "Rest Area 2" raises doubts from the viewpoint of transparency and fairness, as well as the state of general competitive bidding for public works.
So far, with the soaring total construction cost and the construction of a large roof ring of 35 billion yen, various doubts and distrust have spread about the Osaka Expo. As a result, public opinion that opposes the holding of the event and does not have a favorable impression of the event is still deep-rooted, and it can be pointed out that part of the national budget (more than 4 billion yen) invested in order to build momentum and achieve consensus building is being wasted.
This creates an even greater need for transparency, fairness, and accountability in the bidding process. Therefore, the organizers, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Osaka Expo Association, need to be careful not to hinder momentum building and reduce the cost of holding the event by excluding potential suspicious operators from the bidding process, even if there are no legal problems with the contract.
On the afternoon of the 29th, the editorial department contacted the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the organizer of the Osaka Expo, and received a reply that "we have received a report from the Expo Association, but we believe that there is no illegality in the bidding process of the operator." In addition, when we contacted the Osaka Expo Association about the doubts raised about the bidding process of the operators, they replied, "It is difficult to answer for the time being."
At this time, doubts have surfaced about the bidding, but the organizers have not provided a specific explanation of the transparency and fairness of the bidding process. If accountability is not fulfilled as it is, there is a possibility that an investigation will be required by the Japan Fair Trade Commission rather than the Osaka Expo Association, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, or Osaka Prefecture.
Earlier this year, in the construction of the Osaka Expo site, the expo venue producer Sosuke Fujimoto Problems continue with construction cases, such as the 35 billion yen "Large Roof Ring" designed by the company and the current "Rest Area 2". While there are criticisms of architects, there are also voices that defend architects from within the industry, mainly from within the industry, and explain the circumstances of the site and the background.
In a previous interview, when I asked the staff of the Expo Association if they would not provide guidance as a contractor for the work regarding the situation in which Mr. Fujimoto was sending out dissenting opinions other than asserting his own legitimacy through "X," he said, "From the point of view of the site, the architects are like high-ranking people..."
On the other hand, Riken Yamamoto, a Pritzker Prize laureate who has a wealth of experience in public works, pointed out that there is a problem with the opaque business process of the Osaka Expo, and openly criticized the organizers such as Mr. Fujimoto, the Osaka Expo Association, Keidanren, and the city of Osaka.
With seven months left until the opening of the Osaka Expo, the government has contributed more than 4 billion yen to build momentum. We are waiting for an explanation from the organizers of the Osaka Expo process to see if the effects are commensurate with the budget invested.
