'Major setback': Toyota will neither run ads nor its CEO attend Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony

According to a company spokesman, the automaker will not be releasing any commercials related to the Tokyo Games, choosing instead to run its "regular" ads in Japan.

The representative, Hideaki Honma, emphasized Monday that the company was not "canceling" any Olympics-related commercials, saying that none were planned in the first place.

Earlier this month, Japan confirmed that the Games would be held under a state of emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This year's Olympics is shaping up to be unlike any other, with ongoing protests to cancel the Games and thousands of volunteers pulling out.

Toyota is one of the Olympics' top sponsors, alongside major global brands such as Coca-Cola, Samsung and Visa.

Organizers will review the decision to allow stakeholders into the Olympic stadium during the opening ceremony, which is slated for July 23, Seiko Hashimoto, head of the Japanese Olympic Committee said earlier this month.

SOURCE: CNN INTERNATIONAL