THE Japanese Olympic Committee will move to protect female athletes from having photographs of a sexual nature being taken while they compete in their events.
The move comes after several victims complained to the JOC that they have discovered photos of themselves being shared on social media with sexually explicit captions.
This has been described as an important step forward for the country as it seeks to create solidarity with victims of sexual abuse.
Sources told Kyodo News that the JOC was preparing to issue a joint statement with the Japan Sport Association and All Japan High School Athletic Federation and taking concrete steps to prevent such photos from being taken and shared.
Last August, former national team athletes complained to the Japan Association of Athletics Federation that photos zooming in on their breasts and buttocks were taken during competition.
Social movements like #MeToo and Japan's Flower Demo have highlighted abuse against women in recent years and empowered them to step from the shadows to report sexual harassment.
More Japanese professional athletes have since come forward to talk about their experiences.
One female track and field athlete said she received a photo of a man's genitals sent from an unknown Twitter account and another image of herself during competition photo shopped into an explicit sexual situation.
Others said they are easily targeted when they position themselves in jumping events or when they lift their hips into the air on the starting blocks before sprint events.
"Right now there are no spectators in the stands most of the time (because of coronavirus restrictions) so I won't hear cheering but I can focus because I don't have to worry about being secretly photographed," said one athlete.
In a case last year, a guardian noticed a man taking photos of a child from the stands at a national-level meet outside of Tokyo.
Ten men were taken to the police station after the incident, but a few returned to the track the next day because the pre-existing law provides no penalty for such voyeuristic-style photography unless it involves distributing nude, sexual, or pornographic images without consent.
Kyodo said Japan's Justice Ministry was considering revisions on sexual offenses law as there are no laws against non-consensual filming and photography in Japan.
Such acts -- secretly filming nudity, sexual situations, or up women's skirts -- are punishable only under nuisance prevention ordinances set by each prefectural government.
It is difficult to charge offenders who take clothed photos of athletes without their consent if there is no criminal punishment available.