Standing Up for Fans and Players – A Personal Perspective on NPB’s Media Ban – TORA-NEKO Voice
Standing Up to Speak
Even If One Voice Seems Small—This Is Why I Won’t Stay Silent
Regarding the NPB’s newly implemented stadium media policy, which I previously introduced, I’d like to share TORA-NEKO’s personal perspective.
👉Statement by the Japan Professional Baseball Players Association
📎 Link to the Official Statement on the JPBPA Website
I’m fully aware that in Japan, there is often a cynical tendency to say, “One person’s opinion won’t change anything.” But I don’t subscribe to that culture of mocking sincere effort. That’s precisely why I choose to speak up—clearly, and in my own words.
A Legacy of Indifference
What “Just Players” Reveals About NPB’s Power Structure
This issue isn’t new. NPB’s long-standing disregard for fans—and Japan’s broader culture of valuing appearances and formality over substance—has been evident for decades.
One particularly infamous example: when the Japan Professional Baseball Players Association once attempted to negotiate with NPB, then-representative of the league, Tsuneo Watanabe (late owner of the Yomiuri Giants and chairman of the Yomiuri Group), dismissed their efforts with the now-notorious remark, “They’re just players.” The backlash was immediate—from players, of course, but also from fans across the country.
Yet despite that controversy, little has changed. NPB has continued to operate with an outdated, top-down mentality—a sort of feudal “we know best” attitude. When it comes to international outreach and growing baseball abroad, NPB has shown almost no interest. Major global tournaments and promotional efforts are largely left to MLB, and even the broader international expansion of baseball as a sport has essentially been outsourced to them. NPB broadcasts are rarely available overseas, if at all.
The Pacific League, to its credit, has at least made some effort—jointly launching channels and exploring overseas broadcasting rights. But in contrast, the Central League shows virtually no signs of such ambition. Most team websites are entirely in Japanese, and almost none offer multilingual support. Even when some form of English content exists, it’s usually a token effort—just a single linked page to an external ticketing site, not a true invitation to global fans.
Where’s the Responsibility for Growth?
Resting on Legacy, Leaving Outreach to the Players
Over the decades, professional baseball in Japan has secured a dominant position in the world of domestic sports content.
But instead of using that platform to grow, it has rested on its laurels—relying almost entirely on the goodwill of individual players to carry out fan engagement and international outreach.
As a result, the sport presents a stark contrast to Japanese soccer, where players are increasingly heading overseas and thriving in global competition.
In comparison, Japanese professional baseball—even given its high level and scale—feels strangely closed off.
There’s a growing sense among fans that overseas expansion and international player transfers aren’t just neglected—they’re almost discouraged.
At times, NPB even seems hostile to the very idea.
Out of Step with the Times
Why Banning Fan Media Hurts the Players Themselves
In today’s world, the power of social media—especially when amplified through videos and images—is beyond debate.
Its impact as a tool for outreach and promotion is self-evident.
Yet, the decision to impose a blanket ban on fans sharing videos and photos of players in action is not only a step backward—it’s a significant loss for the players themselves.
These moments, after all, help athletes expand their fanbase, highlight the value of their performance, and raise their public profile.
For some, they even become the spark that opens doors to challenges in international leagues like MLB.
To deny that opportunity is not about protecting anyone.
It’s simply about NPB protecting itself.
Enforcement Without Distinction
Punishing Everyone to Avoid Taking Responsibility
Of course, it’s true that some streamers have crossed the line—broadcasting entire games from inside the stadium under the guise of “live commentary.”
But if those are the problem, then surely the answer is simple: crack down on those individual cases of illegal streaming, which are already prohibited.
Or, if the concern lies with maliciously edited images or videos taken during live play—content deliberately manipulated to create a false impression—then target just that: content that is “factually misleading” or “intended to deceive.”
In Japan, legal procedures for disclosing the identity of online posters via internet providers have already been streamlined in recent years.
Why not make use of those existing tools, and consistently enforce the rules against bad actors?
The real issue is this: NPB refuses to distinguish between those who exploit content for profit through illegal streams, and the overwhelming majority of fans who simply want to support their favorite players—by sharing moments of brilliance and helping spread the love of the game.
By resorting to a blanket ban, NPB and the teams have abdicated their responsibility to exercise judgment.
Instead, they’ve chosen convenience over fairness—and in doing so, they’ve made fans and players alike shoulder the burden.
The Distraction of Image Rights
Let’s Be Clear: This Isn’t Really About Privacy
If the new restrictions are truly intended to protect players’ portrait rights (image rights), then such rights should apply regardless of whether a photo or video was taken during live play or not.
And if one insists on citing “portrait rights,” then the same logic would have to apply to spectators as well—whose faces and bodies are regularly shown during live broadcasts. That contradiction cannot be ignored.
In other words, portrait rights are not the core issue here.
They are, at best, a secondary concern.
Bringing them to the forefront of the debate only serves to distract from the real problem—and to shift the narrative away from what’s actually at stake.
The Power of Positive Sharing
No Victims, Only Momentum—for Players and the Game
If that’s the case, then the current ban on posting photos and videos should be understood as specifically targeting footage of “player performances.”
And if so, it’s only natural to conclude that the rights being protected here belong primarily to the players themselves.
Of course, acts such as streaming full footage of player performances without permission and monetizing it, or selling photos for profit, clearly infringe upon legitimate rights. Those actions should rightly be banned and strictly enforced.
However, the vast majority of social media posts by fans—such as photos or short videos taken during live play—are made out of genuine admiration and love for the players.
In those cases, there is no true “victim.”
For the players, having their performances shared by fans helps grow their popularity, increase their visibility, and enhance their reputations—sometimes even contributing to their career advancement.
For fans, sharing moments that moved them emotionally is a way to relive and spread that joy, to amplify the appeal of their favorite players or teams, and to connect with others who share the same passion.
In this way, such sharing doesn’t just raise the profile of individual athletes.
It becomes a powerful force that promotes professional baseball as a whole—and ultimately, spreads the beauty and appeal of the sport of baseball itself to a wider audience.
A Rule That Serves Whom?
How This Policy Protects Power, Not the Sport
So then—who exactly benefits from NPB’s latest policy?
What purpose does this regulation actually serve?
Measures involving rights and restrictions should, by principle, be grounded in reasonable economic or social justification. That much should be obvious.
As I’ve already stated, there is no defense for individuals who monetize footage of player performances without permission or use such media purely for self-promotion. Those abuses are beyond excuse.
But for the vast majority of baseball fans—who are not doing any of those things—this new regulation by NPB ultimately feels like an act of avoidance.
Instead of taking the time to distinguish between malicious and good-faith activity—handling takedown requests, disclosing user information when necessary, or pursuing damages if warranted—NPB has chosen the path of least resistance.
They’ve implemented a blanket ban that places the burden squarely on the fans and players, all to preserve their own exclusive rights and maintain control with minimal effort.
That is not only self-serving—it is, frankly, deceptive and deeply disappointing.
Why I Choose to Speak
Breaking the Closed Circles—Toward a Baseball That Belongs to the World
Given everything discussed above, and taking a broader view of the social and cultural environment surrounding professional baseball in Japan, I find myself with no choice but to stand with the Japan Professional Baseball Players Association (JPBPA)—an organization that has made its commitment clear to protecting fans’ “rightful enjoyment” of the game.
That said, I have no intention of defending certain behaviors we occasionally see on social media—actions that clearly violate the spirit of the sport, such as antagonistic conduct or deliberate rule-breaking.
What I do believe, however, is something very simple:
Baseball only exists because of the players who take the field—and when those players speak as one through their association, their voices deserve to be respected.
Professional baseball, likewise, can only continue to thrive because of the fans who support it.
That’s why, as just one fan among many, I choose to speak up—openly and respectfully.
And finally, I want to make one thing clear:
I hope to see Japanese baseball—both as a cultural tradition and as a professional sport—break free from its current insular structure, and grow into something that can truly stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s great sports.
That’s why I will continue, in my own small way, to support this game we love.
April 9, 2025
TORA-NEKO (Lili)