Black Box Diaries screens at the Adelaide Film Festival on 26 & 30 October
Shiori Itō’s story is not just one of resilience; it’s an unflinching act of courage that left me shaken, inspired, and deeply moved. Watching Black Box Diaries, I found myself pulled into her world, feeling her pain, her frustration, and ultimately, her strength. This documentary is a deeply personal account of her harrowing experience of sexual assault, shining a harsh light on the shocking failures of the Japanese justice system.
In 2015, at just 25, Shiori was drugged and raped by Noriyuki Yamaguchi, a prominent TV journalist with strong political connections, including ties to the Japanese government. Imagine being a young woman, full of ambition, meeting someone for a potential career opportunity, only for that trust to be shattered in the most horrific way. But what makes this story even more gut-wrenching is the way the system—the very institutions meant to protect people—failed her. Despite her relentless pursuit of justice, she was repeatedly told that her case was a "black box," untouchable, unprosecutable. Can you imagine hearing that? Being told your trauma is too messy, too complicated for justice? That the system built to protect the vulnerable won’t fight for you?
But Shiori didn’t let that stop her. Instead, she turned her pain into power, embarking on a four-year battle to hold her attacker accountable. This was never just about her own case—it became a fight against the absurdity of Japan’s archaic rape laws, which still require evidence of “force” for an assault to even be considered. Let that sink in: survivors in Japan are forced to prove not only that they were violated, but that they physically fought back, a requirement rooted in a fundamental misunderstanding of trauma and consent. And if that wasn’t enough, Japan’s age of consent is still 13, leaving an alarming lack of legal protection for survivors of all genders. It’s like living in a parallel world where progress hasn’t caught up with the reality of sexual violence.
Black Box Diaries pulls back the curtain on just how broken the system truly is, and Shiori navigates this with a kind of grace and strength that is beyond inspiring. The film doesn’t shy away from showing the brutality of the process she endured. It includes actual footage of her being dragged, unconscious, into a hotel by her attacker. We watch in horror as she’s forced to re-enact the assault with a life-size doll for investigators—something that feels humiliating, invasive, and retraumatizing. It’s raw, it’s heartbreaking, and it’s downright horrifying. This is the reality for far too many survivors, and Shiori lays it bare for all to see.
Yet, through all of this, Shiori remains unwavering. Her bravery doesn’t just lie in sharing her story, but in demanding that the world acknowledge the injustice and do better. She meticulously documented every interaction she had with the Tokyo police, keeping recordings of their dismissive and mishandled responses as damning evidence of their failures. She turned their indifference into a weapon, and watching this unfold felt like both a gut punch and a rallying cry. It’s a stark reminder that the fight for justice isn’t easy, but it’s necessary.
This documentary isn’t just a survival story. It’s about transformation—about taking trauma and turning it into advocacy. Shiori has become a voice for change, not just in Japan, but across the globe. She’s become a symbol of what it means to be a warrior, to take back your narrative, and to speak truth to power in the face of overwhelming odds. Her fight is already inspiring countless others to find their voices and demand justice, and it’s clear that her story is only the beginning of a much larger movement.
I have to be honest, Black Box Diaries hit especially close to home for me. As someone who has also experienced sexual assault, this is the first time I’m putting it out there—and honestly, it’s terrifying. When I was younger, in my teens, it left me feeling confused and questioning everything. I never knew how to talk about it, and for so long, I just kept it to myself. But watching Shiori’s story unfold gave me a sense of empowerment I didn’t expect. It made me feel seen, like I wasn’t alone in this. There’s something about watching another survivor refuse to back down, standing strong in the face of injustice, that connects with a part of you that’s been quiet for too long. It’s like a bond between survivors, a silent understanding of the strength it takes to keep moving forward. Shiori’s fight isn’t just hers—it feels like it belongs to all of us.
Watching Black Box Diaries was emotionally exhausting. I cried, I got angry, I felt every injustice she faced as if it was my own. But by the end, I felt a strange sense of hope. Shiori’s sheer willpower, her refusal to be silenced, is nothing short of awe-inspiring. There’s a sisterhood in this—a bond among people who refuse to stay quiet in the face of injustice, who say “enough is enough.” Her fight isn’t just hers; it’s ours. We owe it to her, to ourselves, to keep pushing for change, to demand better for the next generation.
This film will break your heart, but it will also remind you of the strength that lies in each of us. Shiori’s impact ripples through society, touching people of all genders, and she has shown the world what it looks like to rise from the ashes, to take control of a narrative that others tried to silence. It’s more than a film about sexual assault—it’s a powerful reminder that change is necessary, and long overdue. Shiori Itō is a force, and Black Box Diaries is her courageous stand. The film left me in awe of her bravery, and it’s a story that I believe everyone, no matter their gender, should experience. It captures the profound resilience of someone fighting for justice in a world that so often turns a blind eye, leaving behind not just a film, but a testament to the strength it takes to rise and demand change.
Director: Shiori Itō
Featuring: Shiori Itō
Writer: Shiori Itō
Producers: Hanna Aqvilin, Shiori Itō, Eric Nyrai
Music: Mark De Gli Antoni
Cinematography: Hanna Aqvilin, Yuta Okamura, Keke Shiratama
Editor: Ema Ryan Yamazaki