20251215 Fuyuko Nishisato & UPLAN "BLACK BOX DIARIES by Shiori Ito, Eric Nyari and Hanna Aqvilin"

【FCCJ】
Landmark Film Gets Long-Awaited Japan Release
In her critically acclaimed documentary "Black Box Diaries," journalist Shiori Ito conducts a seven-year investigation into her own sexual assault case and its subsequent handling by authorities. The result is a film that has laid bare Japan's patriarchal judicial, political and societal structures — and exposed Ito herself to intense public scrutiny and vilification. Production on the documentary began in 2017, following a press conference in which Ito publicly accused a prominent journalist, and biographer of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, of drugging and raping her. That moment marked the start of a long and lonely battle with the justice system and society at large. Police moved forward with an investigation only after Ito herself obtained key evidence. Prosecutors then dropped the case without an indictment or full explanation, while Ito became the target of harsh personal attacks on social media and in the press.
"Black Box Diaries" documents that difficult and often solitary fight, which ultimately helped catalyze the 2023 revision of Japan's antiquated law on sexual offenses, making non-consensual sexual acts legally punishable in line with other countries. The film also contributed to a broader cultural shift, bringing new attention to sexual assault and gender-based violence in Japan. New obstacles arose even after the film was completed. "Black Box Diaries" became the first Japanese film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary (2025) and was released in the United States and other overseas markets. The film won a Peabody Award this year, confirming its status as one of the year's leading nonfiction works. A Peabody Award is one of the most prestigious honors in broadcast, documentary, and digital storytelling, recognizing excellence, integrity, and impactful narratives in media and journalism.
In Japan, however, the release was delayed amid a campaign to reduce the film's narrative to a dispute over the use of footage obtained without explicit consent, including surveillance material that has become one of the film's defining elements. Ito has since made changes and adjustments to address Japanese privacy concerns while preserving the substance and message of the film. An edited version for the Japanese market is now ready. The FCCJ is pleased to host a special screening of this revised version shortly after its theatrical release in Japan on December 12.