Japanese journalist and filmmaker, Ito Shiori, has spent the last decade under the media microscope as a survivor of sexual assault. His plea contesting the standards of Japanese society towards sexual assault is presented in his documentary “Black Box Diaries”. But the representation of the film on sexual violence and the use of disputed sequences have left its Japanese release in the limbo.
Ito has become the face of the #MeToo movement of Japan after having broken his silence on his sexual assault, a cultural taboo in Japan and the non-compliance with the legal system to take victims of sexual violence seriously.
In 2015, she accused Yamaguchi Noriyuki, an influential Japanese journalist, of having raped her in a New York hotel room when she was unconscious after a dinner to discuss potential work. In 2019, Ito won a civil lawsuit against Yamaguchi in Tokyo and obtained damages worth $ 30,000. The legal victory was followed by ITO named one of the most influential figures in Time magazine in 2020.
Ito wrote a memoir on his experience, “Black Box”, which was then adapted as a documentary film directed by Ito herself. “Black Box Diaries” collected international renown in the festivals circuit outside Japan. It was presented first in the United States and the United Kingdom in October 2024 and was nominated for the best documentary article at the 97th Academy Awards – The first appointment of this category by a Japanese director. The film was screened in more than 50 film festivals and won 18 awards.
However, in Japan from ITO, the documentary feature has not yet been presented due to legal concerns concerning the lack of pre-approved authorization of certain people who appear in the documentary.
Lawyer Tsukuda Katsuhiko, who once fought alongside the ITO in his civil trial, held a press conference in October from last year, condemning the unauthorized use of specific sequences which, according to him, broke the confidence and confidentiality of people who cooperated with Ito while she was fighting for justice.
Tsukuda, who also represents the former unhappy lawyers of Ito, reiterated his legal concerns at a public press conference last week in Tokyo. He said the images of the security cameras of the Hotel de la Nuit Ito had been assaulted by origin under the agreement that it would only be used in legal proceedings. Tsukuda argued that the hotel had not authorized the images to use in a commercial film.
In addition, the film has audio images and recordings of individuals such as a taxi driver, a lawyer and investigators involved in the case, whose privacy may not have been properly protected.
During the press conference, Tsukuda challenged the idea that “public interest” prevails over privacy in this case, declaring that responsible journalism requires balanced truth with respect for individual rights.
He argued that if the images of the security camera played a central role in the warranty of justice for Ito in court, its public display in “Black Box Diaries” offers an additional advantage limited to the public and at risk to establish A disturbing precedent for future cases. He warned that the violation of the privacy agreements could discourage individuals from sharing crucial evidence in future cases of sexual violence.
Ito had also been planned to organize a press conference on the same day, but she canceled for health reasons and rather distributed a declaration. She explained that the unauthorized use of security cameras sequences was necessary to transmit the realities of sexual violence and stressed the public interest aspect.
At the same time, she apologized, saying: “I sincerely apologize to those whose consent for the use of images has been neglected.” The latest version of the film will include “an appropriate treatment to prevent individuals from being identified” in unauthorized images and audio, promised Ito.
As the inner dispute takes place, it continues to feed the debate on the balance between public interest and private life, adding to the growing controversy surrounding the documentary.