Society · 3 sources combined
Jiji Press photographer stole practice balls
Sold 54 balls secretly for 50,940 yen
In short
A photographer in his 20s at Jiji Press secretly took practice balls while covering a professional baseball spring camp.
He listed these balls on a secondhand trading site 9 times and sold 54 balls for 50,940 yen.
Jiji Press confirmed the facts and apologized to the team and Japan Professional Baseball.
Key facts
| When | It happened during coverage of a professional baseball spring camp held in Okinawa Prefecture in February 2026. |
|---|---|
| Who | A man in his 20s, an employee of the Photography Department at Jiji Press Video Center, was involved. |
| What | He took 54 practice balls and press crew hats from Hanshin, Yakult, DeNA, and Rakuten stadiums. |
| How | He picked up balls that fell in the outfield seats, listed them on a secondhand trading site 9 times, and sold them for 50,940 yen. |
What it means for me
For general readers, this raises questions about trust and management systems in news coverage.
