Japan bans photos at beach volleyball after 'malicious' pictures

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TOKYO: The Japan Volleyball Association (JVA) has officially banned spectators from taking photos or videos at a top-tier national tournament following persistent instances of ‘malicious’ photography targeting players.

The comprehensive restriction will be strictly enforced at the Tonarino round of the country's beach volleyball tour, barring recording on all devices, including mobile phones and smart glasses.

The decision comes after players at a previous tournament round in Hekinan complained that inappropriate photography left them unable to focus on their games.

Despite repeated warnings and guidelines issued to audiences regarding proper etiquette, the JVA noted that the behavior failed to improve, prompting aggressive intervention to safeguard player well-being.

To ensure full compliance, the restriction has been expanded to forbid optical equipment like binoculars and opera glasses. Japanese sports authorities have increasingly moved to protect athletes from voyeurism, including designing infrared-blocking Olympic uniforms to stop illicit underlying garment exposures.