Japan Sports Organizations Launch ‘No! Spohara’ Campaign; Olympic Medalists Join Video Calling for End of Harassment in Sport

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:43 JST, November 20, 2023

Six sports organizations, including the Japan Sport Association (JSPO), on Monday launched an initiative to eradicate harassment and abuse in sports by spreading the message “No! Spohara” on social media.

Spohara is a combination of the words sport and harassment.

The entities hope to make the message become influential in a similar way to the “#MeToo” movement against sexual harassment, which rose to prominence in the United States.

The online campaign is intended to encourage people supporting the initiative to post and spread their thoughts using the hashtag “#nospohara” (with spohara written in katakana) on X, and other social media platforms. The JSPO, the Japanese Olympic Committee, the Japanese Para-Sports Association and other organizations are seeking cooperation from their member entities and athletes to spread the message.

A decade has passed since the “Declaration on the Eradication of Violence in Sports” was adopted by the Japanese sports community in response to violence by a judo coach of the women’s national team and other incidents.

“Posts may reveal hidden facts. We are determined to work toward a society where everyone says no to harassment in sport,” a JSPO official said.

A video of messages from Olympic medalists and others calling for the eradication of harassment in sport has been released on the campaign’s website since Monday.