Ito Shiori’s Documentary on Her Rape Nets Oscar Nom, Criticism

Ito Shiori’s BLACK BOX DIARIES is winning critical acclaim worldwide — but it’s also under fire from her former lawyer.

Ito Shiori has been fighting for justice since she accused journalist Yamaguchi Noriyuki of rape in 2015. Her latest chapter is a documentary on her struggle that’s receiving worldwide acclaim — including an Oscar nod. However, it’s also coming under fire from her former attorney for using “unauthorized” footage.

Black Box Diaries, directed by Ito Shiori, shows her investigating her own assault. It’s full of damning recordings of her conversations with police and prosecutors, who constantly dissuaded her from lodging a case against Yamaguchi.

Ito says powerful figures such as the head of Japan’s police agency ordered a halt into her rape investigation. She and her allies contend that Yamaguchi leveraged his connections, such as his close friendship with then-Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, to end the case.

At the time of Ito’s assault, Japan had still not had its “#MeToo moment.” Many…