30-Year-Old Fake Reporter Illegally Uses Asahi Shimbun Employee’s Business Card to Photograph University Cheerleaders and Others

“This is Asahi Shimbun.”

The man, pretending to be a newspaper reporter, seemed to have been taking pictures of university cheerleaders and cheer squad members.

On June 12, the Tsukiji Police Station of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department announced the arrest of Daichi Nomiyama (30), an employee of the Kamakura City Fire Department in Kanagawa Prefecture, on suspicion of illegal use of a private seal. The incident leading to the arrest occurred on April 8. It is alleged that in front of Meiji Jingu Stadium in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Nomiyama handed out a former Asahi Shimbun employee’s business card to students while attempting to take pictures of a private university’s cheer squad.

A photographer from our magazine captured the scene of Nomiyama being sent to the prosecutor’s office. While he was facing forward as he exited the police station’s escort entrance, he suddenly lowered his face upon noticing the press.

About 40 items, including armbands, from his home.

“According to reports, there has been an increase in the number of cases where people posing as Asahi Shimbun reporters have been requesting interviews with cheerleading squads since the start of the spring university baseball season. When the universities became suspicious of why their stories were not being published, they contacted Asahi Shimbun. The company consulted with the police and Nomiyama’s crime was discovered.

When police searched Nomiyama’s home, they found about 40 items, including name cards of former Asahi Shimbun employees, and armbands with the word ‘press’ written on them. Nomiyama has allegedly admitted to the crime and reportedly stated, ‘I thought it would be easier to get interviews if I pretended to be an Asahi Shimbun reporter rather than a freelancer. I filmed cheerleading squads and others.’ It is suspected that Nomiyama had been forging name cards.” (National newspaper social affairs reporter)

As introduced earlier, Nomiyama, the suspect, is a firefighter by profession. However, there is another side to him. He has a splendid profile as a photographer.

“Nomiyama, who spent his childhood in Thailand, became fascinated with nature from around the world and became a photographer. He specializes in drone photography and has traveled to over 70 countries. He has professional skills and has been featured in the media as a video maker. He also owns Thai restaurants in Tokyo and Kanagawa,” said a camera magazine editor. 

The police are investigating Nomiyama for possible other crimes.