Black Box Diaries

"Black Box Diaries" is a deeply moving and courageous documentary that tackles a social issue that is still shrouded in stigma yet destroys countless lives. Directed by Shiori Ito, the film recounts her own harrowing experience of sexual assault by a prominent journalist in Japan, an event that made her a key figure in the country's #MeToo movement. Through raw and intimate footage, Ito bravely documents her journey to seek justice in a legal system that had seen little change in over a century. Her story isn't just a personal account-it's a powerful critique of the systemic failures that have long silenced survivors.

What makes "Black Box Diaries" truly stand out is how it balances the personal with the universal. Ito's willingness to turn the camera on herself, capturing her emotions and struggles, brings a deep sense of authenticity to the film. At the same time, it sparks a much-needed conversation about sexual violence and the urgent need for change, both in Japan and globally. The documentary is not just a retelling of one woman's fight for justice-it's a powerful call to action, reminding us of the ongoing battle many survivors face and the importance of challenging the systems that continue to let them down.

"Black Box Diaries," directed and starring Shiori Itô, is a documentary that transcends a personal narrative to become a collective outcry against a culture and legal system that allow sexual violence to go unanswered. From the very first moments, the brutality of what happened to Itô is laid bare through surveillance footage showing her being dragged, vulnerable and unconscious, by the man who would go on to shatter her-physically, emotionally, and (almost) socially.

The documentary's power lies in Itô's ability to turn pain into action. This isn't a plea for sympathy; it's a demand for attention. In recounting her fight against Noriyuki Yamaguchi, a man shielded by his power and political connections, Itô doesn't just expose her assailant but also a legal system that catastrophically failed her. "Black Box Diaries" paints a disturbing portrait of contemporary Japan, spotlighting how an outdated, insensitive law from a bygone era still governs sexual violence cases.

Itô's choice to show her vulnerability-whether it's crying at an unexpected gesture of support or nervously laughing in moments of discomfort-makes the film a deeply intimate experience. She takes us through her journey of trauma and recovery with relentless honesty. This is a raw, unpolished portrayal that refuses to hide the emotional scars left by her ordeal. Even the documentary's evolving visual style, moving from rougher aesthetics to a more polished finish, mirrors Itô's transformation-from a withdrawn victim to a confident filmmaker and activist.

The film also shines a harsh light on the widespread insensitivity in Japanese society toward survivors of sexual violence. Messages Itô receives, like one from a woman who expresses sympathy for her assailant or advice to avoid showing her face in public, are heartbreaking. They reveal how survivors are often put on trial themselves, judged for their "exposure" instead of being supported for their courage. This revictimization, both in court and in the public sphere, is one of the most striking aspects of "Black Box Diaries."

The decision to include moments where Itô speaks directly to the camera or films herself in private settings is a masterstroke. These scenes feel like intimate confessions, acts of trust that heighten the urgency of her story. The metaphor of the "black box" is particularly potent-the idea that her story, like an airplane's black box after a crash, holds undeniable evidence of a tragedy that cannot be ignored.

Visually, the documentary is simple but never simplistic. The lack of elaborate aesthetic flourishes keeps the focus squarely on Itô's narrative, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere where every word and gesture carries weight. This stylistic choice reinforces the film's authenticity, ensuring the story is told with unfiltered clarity.

One of the most moving moments comes during a phone call with the hotel doorman, who, despite the risk of losing his job, decides to testify about what he witnessed that night. Itô's reaction-crying and repeatedly thanking him-encapsulates the fragility and strength that define the entire film. These moments remind viewers that while Itô's bravery is extraordinary, she is, at her core, just a person taking on a colossal system.

"Black Box Diaries" isn't just a documentary-it's an act of defiance. It's the testimony of a woman who refuses to be silenced, turning her story into a tool for change. Watching it, you can't help but question the power structures that enable impunity and your role in challenging them. The film is a powerful, necessary work, reminding us that individual acts of courage can illuminate systemic flaws and maybe even spark their transformation.

This is quite an harrowing watch at times whilst we follow Japanese journalist Shiori Itô as she seeks justice for an alleged rape a few years earlier. To be fair, up front, this is not a balanced documentary but a potent video-diary style presentation crafted by the woman herself to not only document the course of her own battle, but also to illustrate just how out-dated the legal processes were in a nation that's legal system still treated women as a possession of a man in many ways. We identify the accused - from whom we do not hear directly or via his representatives, and from there on we focus on her attempts to see him face her accusations. The film now concentrates on the courageous efforts of a woman to see that process of justice done. The laws that inherently obstruct her need to be identified, addressed and replaced so as not to protect, or be seen to protect, any influential people from heinous crimes of any sort. It also goes on to demonstrate quite effectively just how difficult - if you are to adopt the "innocent til proven guilty" approach that underpins so much of the legal system - it is to adequately codify crimes of an intimate nature ensuring that they are to be objectively dealt with. Especially problematic as there are so often no witnesser and/or extensive time lapses between the incident and any attempt at redress. It's also quite potent at illuminating what I feel are the frequently absurd differentiations between the evidence required for a criminal or a civil case. The latter always feels to me that it's more about balance of probability, sometimes even money rather than seeing the rule of law robustly and impartially upheld in the first place. This doesn't provide answers to these complex issues, indeed I suspect there are no straightforward answers - but that anyone has to go through this kind of emotional maelstrom just to get a day in court is something that the public ought to feel disgusted by.

A very sobering example of how behind Japanese law and society as whole is when it comes to sexual assault and harassment.

It makes absolutely no sense for there to be video evidence with multiple camera angles of someone being pulled half-conscious into a hotel with multiple witnesses saying she was trying to leave where it is later reported as a sexual assault and claim there is not enough evidence to even investigate it. It was an incredibly intelligent move to document the whole process of pursing justice as many who are not aware of how negatively victims are looked at in Japan would not believe it if you told them.

Japanese journalist Shiori Ito's brave and self-documented quest for justice is a powerful and emotional exploration of Japan's approach to handling rape victims, where only 4% of such crimes are reported to the authorities.

Similar to the process of writing a memoir, the creation of this film serves as a therapeutic means of confronting trauma, allowing for reflection and analysis, and enabling others to engage with her experience and empathize with the cause. Through this endeavor, Shiori Ito emerges as a remarkable figure, one who has put aside her own comfort to advocate for necessary reforms in her country's antiquated justice system.

In 2015, Shiori Ito was an intern at Reuters when she was drugged and sexually assaulted by Noriyuki Yamaguchi, the senior journalist and head of the Washington bureau for the Tokyo Broadcasting System. He refuted her claims, asserting that their encounter was consensual, exemplifying the all-too-common "he said, she said" dilemma that many women face. Throughout her struggle to file charges, she encountered numerous obstacles, highlighting a flawed system where the definitions of rape and consent are murky, and the process of obtaining a rape kit for evidence is fraught with challenges. This contributes, as I mentioned at the beginning, to the alarming underreporting of such cases in Japan.

In May 2017, she finally decides to go public, making one last effort to push for an investigation into her case. She documents her journey, sharing her thoughts, the behind-the-scenes aspects of the court proceedings, and the writing of her memoir - and this was the part where it felt like a rae victim exploitation documentary! Just my feeling - uneasy one. With CCTV footage from that night and interviews with peripheral figures like the taxi driver and door concierge, we witness the online vitriol directed at her and the political connections Yamaguchi had, highlighting the immense frustration and scale of her struggle.

Documentaries of this nature are challenging to watch, and they should be. Ito emerges as a natural journalist, relentlessly pursuing the truth amid the chaos. She is determined and strong, yet also vulnerable and fearful for her safety. She understands that her efforts are for others who have faced similar experiences and been overlooked. Aware that she will be labeled a victim and that this could impact her career and treatment by others, her bravery shines through. The film elevates her from victim to champion, and while the trauma of the assault occasionally surfaces, it does not define her or portray her as weak.