THE STORY – Journalist Shiori Ito investigates her own sexual assault, seeking to prosecute the high-profile offender. Her quest becomes a landmark case, exposing Japan’s outdated judicial and societal systems.
THE CAST – Shiori Itô
THE TEAM – Shiori Itô (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 102 minutes
Shiori Ito, a female journalist in Japan, has been a prominent figure in her home country for some time, seeking to obtain justice against Noriyuki Yamaguchi for her sexual assault in 2015, with the incident largely brushed under the carpet by investigators in the aftermath. Yamaguchi is head of the Washington Bureau, chief of the Tokyo Broadcasting System, and a close personal friend of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, making this a David vs. Goliath fight for Ito. The result is one of 2024’s very best documentary films, “Black Box Diaries.”
Ito directs “Black Box Diaries” herself, which largely covers the period from the assault in 2015 to 2017 and her initial efforts to bring her story to the attention of the authorities and wider press. Told entirely through archival footage and diary-like recordings as Shiori goes about her daily life, she attends various meetings, trying to find paths towards proving her case. Due to the nature of the justice system in Japan and Yagamuchi’s high-profile position, there are obstacles at every turn for Ito, making this a grueling documentary to sit through but, nevertheless, compelling and vital.
The film takes its title from Shiori’s 2017 memoir “Black Box,” describing how the investigation into her sexual assault was initially handled and, in many ways, acts as an epilogue to her ordeal, giving a resolution to the case with eventual recognition.
Editor Ema Ryan Yamazaki has done a remarkable job concisely capturing the key events in Shiori’s journey from moments of investigation to more intimate, calmer reflective periods like having dinner with friends or joking with the film crew. This helps show several sides of Shiori, from a young woman who clearly has a strong sense of humor and a positive outlook on life in spite of what has happened to a vulnerable side where she can feel overwhelmed by the burden of trying to take on the Japanese justice system.
The system was based on a century-old Japanese law that has only recently been revised in which sexual assault isn’t necessarily defined by non-consent. As such, it was difficult for Shiori to prove her case, and she faced constant opposition from the press and police to have a credible case. It is clear the impact this had on her and her family, with her family initially disapproving of her continued efforts and resulting in a press conference that garnered national attention. This persistent determination to show the truth is so invigorating and makes this such a captivating watch despite its harsh subject matter.
As much as this is about Shiori’s case, it highlights obvious flaws in the way sexual assault cases are handled in Japan. The segments in 2017 show the Me-Too movement’s impact on helping her mentally and making the story feel more global. Shiori gradually secures critical male allies from the doorman at the hotel where the incident took place to the initial investigating officer, known simply as Investigator A. At the start, Investigator A was initially keen not to be involved in listening to Shiori’s side of events, while the doorman felt Shiori’s story needed to be told so the truth could ultimately be revealed, and greater reform might be born from it.
The key to making “Black Box Diaries” such a necessary watch is Shiori’s raw honesty and getting to know her away from the case; having beats where she unwinds and jokes with her friends and family makes us root for her all the more while this documentary is told entirely from her perspective it feels incredibly thorough and well assembled, giving us a comprehensive overview of not just the case itself and its broad implications across Japan, but of the woman it impacted and how her story may help save the next one.
Structurally choosing to use iPhone recordings and archival footage, there is a rawness to much of what is featured in the final edit, making “Black Box Diaries” feel more personal and emotionally compelling. It may often be a difficult watch as confronting such traumatic horrors is never easy, but the beats of humor and Shiori’s lovely personality make this an accessible and essential watch that demonstrates how important this case has been not just for Japan but internationally, showing how one woman’s determination has had an impact on changing outdated societal norms. “Black Box Diaries” is a must-watch documentary feature and one of the very best 2024 has given us. It’s a well-documented and somber investigation into a system and an individual that delivers a powerful gut punch that will last long after it is over.
