Senbatsu High School Baseball, where heated battles continue every day.


In addition to the players' play, the cheerleaders in the Alps seats are the highlight of the tournament.



However, one thing that has become a major issue, especially in recent years, is ``voyeurism'' targeting these women.



Schools are struggling to protect their students from this despicable act.

Alps seats “No photography allowed”

Koshien's Alps seats cheering on the players as they stand on a sunny stage.



However, there is a certain sense of tension in the first round of this year's Senbatsu Tournament.

"Photography is prohibited"


"Please refrain from taking pictures"

School officials can be seen holding up placards with such words written on them to the audience.



The reason was that there had been a series of ``voyeurs'' targeting the cheerleaders.

Large size long sleeves, tights, shorts...

While keeping a close eye on students being photographed, the school is also moving to change the uniforms worn by cheerleaders.



Aichi Prefecture's Toyokawa High School, participating for the first time in 10 years, wore black tights under their skirts, long sleeves on their upper bodies, and a larger size so as not to emphasize their body lines. .

Toyokawa High School Cheerleading Club Advisor Teacher Mikiko Kato


: ``With the development of SNS, I told the students that ``we are here to protect you.''However, this problem is really difficult...''

In addition, Chiba Chuo Gakuin Academy, which is participating for the first time in six years, has changed to shorts instead of skirts from this tournament to prevent voyeurism.

Voyeurism is a “lifelong emotional scar”

Furthermore, Takasaki Health and Welfare University Takasaki High School in Gunma, which has advanced to the top four in past Senbatsu tournaments, has similarly switched to requiring shorts for this tournament.



He says that in the past six tournaments he has participated in, he has actually been plagued by ``covert footage.''



He was seen posing as a reporter and taking pictures with a hidden smartphone, and although teachers warned him each time, they were unable to take action.



Teacher Kohei Shiozawa, who is in charge of the support, does not hide his anger.

Kendai Takasaki teacher Kohei Shiozawa


: ``If you are secretly filmed, you will be scarred for the rest of your life.I definitely want it to stop.''

Confused by the new uniform

Kendai Takasaki revealed that changing the uniform was a ``difficult decision.''

Uniforms just arrived

This is because some students enter the school with a ``longing for uniforms'' after seeing them cheering at past tournaments.



What are the cheerleader students who are involved in this incident thinking?



The day before the first match at Koshien.



Just before departure, I was able to interview the students as they finally received their new shorts uniforms.



The students immediately opened the package, tried it on, and completed their practice.

The feedback was positive, with comments such as ``It's pretty cute'' and ``It's nice because it gives a sense of unity with the baseball club.''



On the other hand, some students revealed that they were surprised and had mixed feelings about changing from skirts to shorts, and that they had experienced the damage at local tournaments, although not at Koshien.

Cheerleading member


: ``What!?'' I was surprised.It was sad.'' ``


Just wearing a skirt makes me excited and I can dance cutely, so I'm glad I wore a skirt.'' ``


At the competition last fall, I actually wore a skirt.

I was secretly filmed...I knew that there were many cases of people being secretly filmed, but when I was filmed, I was surprised, so I thought to myself, ``My skirt is a bit dangerous.''

The advisor revealed what happened when he announced the uniform change.

Kendai Takasaki Cheerleading Club Advisor Teacher Yuriko Amamiya:


"Is this the first time? It wasn't a good reaction at all. It was like, 'Are you going to change?' (What were the conflicts within you?) did"

``There's a part of me that takes pride and confidence in wearing that and performing.I know I'm really bad at saying this, but...'' she continued.

``We can't let the girls wear what they want just because there are people who are secretly filming them.As a teacher, we can't let them wear what they want to do.''As a teacher, I feel confused. It was the same for those people, and I think it was difficult for us to convince them as well.''

General customers: “Take proper measures”

In the next day's match, Kendai Takasaki made it through the first match with the support of cheerleaders wearing new uniforms.



We also spoke to the general customers who were seated in the Alps seats.

Female in her 20s


: "I think it's better to take precautions than to feel anxious because you can cheer without worrying. I hope all the staff at Koshien will take proper security precautions and there will be no damage." I think that's the correct answer.''



Male in his 30s


: ``(Wearing shorts) is less likely to cause an issue of voyeurism, so I think it's okay.I wish they would stop voyeuristic filming.From my point of view, I don't understand why people do it.''

Tournament Headquarters “Create an environment where we can support you with all our might”

In response to these current conditions and voices, the tournament headquarters responded to NHK's interview as follows.

Comment from tournament headquarters


: ``At a meeting held before the opening of the tournament, we gather together the cheerleaders from participating schools, and recommend that cheerleaders not be placed in the aisles closest to the infield seats of the Alps Stand. In addition to showing Alps' seating charts and examples of cheer squad placement in the materials distributed to schools, we also asked them to actually tour Alps after the above meeting, and discussed the placement of cheering squads, including brass bands, from a safety perspective. We are also asking the organizers to consider


this.Video photography is an act that is never tolerated, not just in the Alps, and the tournament headquarters will continue to work with each participating school to create an environment in which all cheering teams can feel comfortable and cheer with all their might. I would like to work to improve this.”

Voyeurism is a “crime”

The cheerleaders stood in the Alps seats, dancing and cheering for the players on the field for two hours, maybe three hours at most.



Last year, a new ``photography offense'' was established to crack down on the taking of obscene images and the provision of such images to third parties.



Theft is a crime.



I feel it is important to maintain a strong stance of not allowing such despicable acts and to continue to disseminate them.



(Maebashi Broadcasting Station Takatsune Nakafuji/Koshien coverage team Rikuto Fujiwara)