The 78-year-old Takahashi has been at the centre of allegations since his house was raided in July as part of investigations into corruption.

He is also former senior managing director of Dentsu, who played a large part in Tokyo's marketing for the Olympics.

Tokyo authorities have linked him to bribery at Japanese publisher Kadokawa Corp, who paid a firm run by a friend of Takahashi, according to Kyodo News.

It suggests the Tokyo 2020 Board member accepted the bribes through this middle man.

The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office has arrested former Kadokawa executive Toshiyuki Yoshihara and another unnamed individual for allegedly bribing Takahashi and consulting firm head Kazumasa Fukami.

Takahashi, who was arrested by Japanese prosecutors last month for allegedly receiving ¥51 million yen ($380,000, £314,480, €374,051) from Tokyo 2020 official partner, retailer Aoki Holdings; is accused of accepting bribes up to ¥76 million yen (£463,000/$536,000/€539,000) now.

Questions now turn to whether Fukami asked Takahashi to help Kadokawa become a Tokyo 2020 sponsor.

Kadokawa chairman Tsuguhiko Kadokawa's house has also been searched.

It has been another week of turbulence in the legacy of Tokyo 2020, as the offices of Daiko Advertising, another of the Olympic sponsors, were searched by prosecutors in Osaka on bribery suspicions.

Daiko is believed to have funnelled money through Fukami's firm too.

Kadokawa's payment to the firm has been described as a consulting fee when it became a Tokyo 2020 sponsor in April 2019.

Kadokawa, the chair, has denied his company's involvement in the bribery scandal.