Message from the President on Initiatives to Prevent Defamation, Discriminatory Posts, and Illicit Photography Targeting Athletes

 

The 20th Asian Games and the 5th Asian Para Games are about to take place in Aichi-Nagoya starting on September 19 and October 18 of this year, respectively. This major sporting event will bring together numerous athletes from across Asia to compete and showcase the results of their dedicated training.

 

However, recent international sporting events have seen the emergence of serious issues involving acts that deeply harm athletes’ personality and dignity. These include defamatory remarks that attack an athlete’s personality; the online spread of illicitly captured images or videos—including those that have been maliciously edited; and discriminatory posts targeting athletes based on nationality, race, or ethnic origin.

 

Such actions impose a heavy mental burden on athletes and undermine the environment necessary for them to compete with peace of mind. Furthermore, they run counter to the fundamental principles of the Olympic Council of Asia (Article 2.1 of the OCA Constitution), which promote, through sport, international respect, friendship, goodwill, peace, and fairness.

 

In Japan, defamation and the illicit capture, posting, or spread of images or videos can—depending on the content and nature of the act—constitute illegal conduct infringing upon rights such as the right to honor, personality rights, and the right to privacy, potentially resulting in liability for damages or criminal prosecution. Even in cases involving anonymous posts, Japanese law, including the Information Distribution Platform Act, provides legal procedures for seeking disclosure of information identifying the original poster.

 

At the same time, information on the internet spreads instantly across national borders. Therefore, to create an environment where athletes can compete with peace of mind, it is crucial to develop a shared awareness and cooperate across borders, rather than relying on the efforts of a single country or region alone. Accordingly, the Aichi Bar Association will conduct international awareness-raising activities aimed at creating an environment where athletes can focus fully on their competitions, and will foster an international atmosphere of respect for athletes’ efforts and challenges, accompanied by warm encouragement. We hope that athletes from across Asia will participate in competitions here in Aichi and Nagoya with confidence and a sense of security.

 

September 8, 2026

Aichi Bar Association

President Tatsunobu Hasegawa