Japanese journalist's film on rape case to be released domestically in December

TOKYO — "Black Box Diaries," a 2024 documentary by Japanese journalist Shiori Ito detailing her own experience as a sexual assault survivor, will finally premiere in Japan on Dec 12, the film's publicist said Thursday, noting that controversial aspects of the work have been addressed.

The film, nominated for Best Documentary Feature Film at this year's Academy Awards, has already been screened abroad, but its domestic release had been delayed due to unauthorized use of some material, for which Ito has apologized.

The Japan release will be a revised version with edits to certain parts that had caused issues, according to publicist Drop Inc. It is scheduled to be screened at T-Joy Prince Shinagawa, a cinema complex in Tokyo, it said.

"I believe that even small words exchanged after watching the film can break silence, protect the next person, and gradually move society forward," Ito said in a press release.

The film documents the events that led Ito to accuse former TV reporter Noriyuki Yamaguchi of raping her after they dined together in Tokyo in 2015. He denies the allegation.

After prosecutors declined to indict Yamaguchi for lack of sufficient evidence, Ito filed a damages suit and wrote a book about her experiences, becoming a symbol of Japan's #MeToo movement.

Last month, she issued a written apology for filming the testimony of a taxi driver who witnessed events leading up to the incident without his consent.

© KYODO