Comment on “Penalty for ‘Nose-Exposed Mask’ During Shogi Match Ruled Lawful; Player’s Lawsuit Dismissed by Tokyo District Court” [in Japanese]
On October 18, 2024, a comment of Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law on the Asahi Shimbun article, “Penalty for ‘Nose-Exposed Mask’ During Shogi Match Ruled Lawful: Player’s Lawsuit Dismissed by Tokyo District Court” was published. The article discusses a lawsuit filed by Hachidan player Ichiro Hiura against the Japan Shogi Association, claiming that it was unjust for him to be penalized with a forfeit loss and a three-month suspension from matches for not wearing his mask properly during a shogi match. The Tokyo District Court ruled against his claim and dismissed the lawsuit. Professor Ichihara pointed out that although the Japan Shogi Association mandated mask-wearing at the time, the government’s policy, which served as the basis for this rule, was merely a recommendation rather than a legal obligation. She further commented that treating a non-mandatory action as if it were a legal requirement and imposing sanctions accordingly risks excessively restricting individual freedoms.
