Sporting bodies in Japan moving to block voyeurism targeting athletes

TOKYO (Kyodo) — Over half of Japan’s sporting bodies have taken measures against nonconsensual capturing and sharing of sexualized images of athletes, a Japan Sports Agency survey has revealed.

Wednesday marked four years since the Japanese Olympic Committee and seven other sporting organizations released a joint statement on the matter. Of 126 organizations surveyed between April and June, 62 of the 113 that replied said they were implementing countermeasures.

Many have taken active steps at venues such as designating specific areas for photographers and issuing permits as well as having event staff and security guards monitor spectators.

Forty-two organizations have also set up consultation and reporting desks for athletes.

Japan’s judo federation has banned taking or using video or photos that appear intended to harass athletes or tarnish their reputations.

The Japan Para-Volleyball Association has banned the use of telephoto lenses without permission and displays notices reminding spectators not to publish photos focusing on athletes’ bodies, particularly those of women, that have nothing to do with the sport or competition.

The Japan Sports Agency has compiled a list of issues that have arisen in tackling the matter. These include the difficulty of preventing illicit photography in large venues with big crowds, and identifying photographic equipment that is becoming increasingly miniaturized.

Judging whether videos or photos are taken for unscrupulous reasons is another headache.

A new anti-voyeurism law was enacted last year, but it does not apply to athletes wearing sportswear due to the difficulty of determining any sexual intent of those capturing images. There are, however, powerful calls to amend the law.

Some sporting bodies who have yet to act cited a lack of human resources. A sports agency official has urged organizations to “start with anything” they can since that alone “would go some way to providing athletes with some sense of security.”

Awareness of the topic has been elevated in general over the past years, typified by the German artistic gymnastics team wearing full-length unitards to send a message at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Sporting goods maker Mizuno Corp. developed a material for its apparel that defeats illicit photos taken with infrared cameras ahead of the Paris Olympics. There, Japan’s women’s volleyball, table tennis and hockey teams all employed the technology in their uniforms.

JOC Secretary General Mitsugi Ogata believes “even further engagement is required” on the issue.

“We need to clamp down on the matter not just by amending the law but through setting up a specialized department on increasing cyber crimes and voyeurism,” said lawyer Sakura Kamitani.