Japan to screen #MeToo film months after Oscar nomination
Japan will soon screen, for the first time, a documentary directed by one of the country’s most prominent #MeToo activists, several months after the film received an Academy Award nomination. The documentary, titled Black Box Diaries, is based on the experiences of Shiori Ito, who became a central figure in Japan’s movement against sexual violence after publicly accusing a well-known journalist of rape.
Ito won a significant civil case in 2019 against former TV reporter Noriyuki Yamaguchi, whom she accused of raping her in 2015 after inviting her out for dinner to discuss a job opportunity. Yamaguchi has continued to deny the allegation. The ruling awarded Ito approximately $30,000 in damages and contributed to growing pressure to reform Japan’s sexual assault laws.
Despite being screened internationally, Black Box Diaries had not been distributed in Japan until now. According to Toei Advertising, the film will be shown at one cinema in Tokyo starting in December. It remains uncertain whether additional theaters across the country will also choose to screen the documentary.
The delay in its domestic release was attributed by Ito’s former legal team to concerns over the use of certain footage. The lawyers argued that the documentary included audio and video that had been recorded without permission, as well as material intended solely for courtroom proceedings, such as hotel security camera footage. One of her former attorneys, Yoko Nishihiro, expressed deep concern after discovering that a secretly recorded phone conversation was included in the film.
In response, the Japan release version of the documentary has been revised. The publicist stated that changes were made based on feedback from involved parties. Ito apologized earlier this year for any unintended harm caused by the original footage choices.
Ito has said she hopes the Japanese screening will encourage more open discussion about sexual violence and support for survivors. Although a few high-profile cases have drawn attention to the issue in recent years, Japan has not experienced a large-scale wave of #MeToo disclosures. Surveys show that many survivors do not report assaults to police, though consultations at sexual violence support centers have increased.
The documentary also highlights claims that an order to stop Yamaguchi’s arrest came from higher levels within policing, a moment captured in Ito’s secretly recorded conversation with an investigator. The case and its aftermath helped spur a reassessment of legal standards on consent and prosecution in Japan.
