Book Review
Title: Black Box by Shiori Ito
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir
Rating: 5 Stars
From the beginning Shiori Ito doesn’t mince her word in regard to the state of the Japanese legal system regarding rape and sexual assault but she doesn’t focus on this long as she begins to tell us about herself as a child. Shiori was one of a few children who was able to study abroad as a young teen and was determined to study journalism in the USA despite not having any financial aid. It was in New York that she met Noriyuki Yamaguchi, the man who would assault her for the first time. Noriyuki was a journalist and everything that Shiori aspired to be but after living in America and working herself to the bone to pay for her education she realised sooner or later she would have to return to Japan. It was nice reading about her childhood and getting to know her as a person before we learn about what actually happened to her and why the legal system cast her aside.
With graduation looming just ahead of her, Shiori is forced to admit to her parents how much she is struggling financially and when they demand she returns to Japan she can’t refuse. There she does several internships before landing a job with Reuters, however during this time she isn’t making much money and is having to work several jobs but despite her parents urging her to get a normal job and save Shiori continues down the path she has chosen for herself determined to fulfil her dream. During this time, she has several correspondence with Noriyuki who offers to get her an internship and even talks about the company sponsoring her visa so they decide to meet you to discuss the specifics of this. Upon arriving she notes that Noriyuki has been drinking but she doesn’t think anything of it as drinking culture is very big in Japan and she has quite a high tolerance herself. After a few drinks they head to a restaurant for some food where they continue to drink before Shiori passes out. When she comes to she realises that she is beginning raped and we can tell she has been drugged by how sluggish she feels and she also realises that this is being recorded. While she does convince him to stop so she can go to the bathroom when she emerges he begins to rape her again. By the time he is done Shiori is a lot of pain, immensely confused and doesn’t understand what is happening. He tries to bribe her with the job offer but she doesn’t take it and she leaves. Shiori is very frank and honest about the depiction of her rape and I was grateful for this as she manages to convey how helpless she felt and how desperately confused she was by what was happening.
In the aftermath of the rape, Shiori doesn’t know what to do or who to turn to for help. While she is able to get the morning after pill, she doesn’t have any luck with rape crisis centres as they tell her she has come in person for them to be able to help her which she doesn’t feel about to do. For the next five days she tries to act normally but the injuries from the rape take her to the doctors where she learn her knee was dislocated and she has been walking on it for days which must have been agony. Shiori eventually confides in a friend and goes to the police but she is now faced with the issues that there is no DNA evidence that can be collected due to the fact that she has showered multiple times and she has waited so long in order to go the police. She is informed that the prosecution don’t see any value in taking the case forward and they can’t even pursue the fact that Shiori believes she was recorded because they don’t have enough evidence to get a search warrant. Throughout this time Shiori has maintained contact with Noriyuki but he hasn’t admitted anything and maintains his innocence claiming that Shiori was very drunk and he was doing the right thing in not leaving her on the street. However, the police inform her they might be able to bring him in for voluntary questioning but he has many connections within the journalism industry and continuing with the case might destroy Shiori’s career before it has even truly started which is just as concerned for her as she has devoted her life to becoming a journalist. The police also very rudely warn her that if she maintains contact with him then they won’t pursue the case any longer putting Shiori in a difficult position and throughout this time she has received very little in the way of support often having to find things like a gynaecologist and a therapist herself.
For the next three months Shiori struggles to get anywhere with the police due to the way the legal systems works in Japan and how rape is viewed in general. As well as dealing with the police, lawyers and communicating with Noriyuki she is also dealing with PTSD and could possibly be pregnant. Shiori is blocked at every turn when she tries to gather her own evidence such as the surveillance tapes from the hotel and interviewing the hotel staff. However, DNA is found of Shiori’s bra left behind in the hotel room and the accounts from the maids at the hotel as well as the wait staff at the restaurant don’t add up with his version of events but they also contradict Shiori’s version of events. Shiori struggles on keeping communication with Noriyuki to try and pin him down for questioning without letting on that she is talking to the police and lawyers and it seems to be working as he makes several statements in his emails that seem to support Shiori’s claims. Eventually an arrest warrant is issued for him but just when they plan to make the arrest they get orders from high up in the Japanese Police to stand down. Both the lead investigator and prosecutor who Shiori has been dealing with are removed from the case and replaced. Their replacements are pushing Shiori hard for an out of court settlement but she believes even a million yen which is the standard settlement amount wouldn’t begin to cover the distress she has been caused and the numerous medical bills she has from several hospital visits. In addition to this if it turns out she is pregnant this will incur more bills and she doesn’t want to go down that route as she wants him to admit what he did and apologize for it which he has refused to do. I completely empathize with Shiori having been in the same position as her but I just thank God that the legal system in the UK works far better than it used to in Japan, I say used to as several reforms have been made in recent years.
Over the next two years Shiori fights the legal system in Japan to get her case heard in court but it is ultimately dismissed. She continues to fight for justice as she appeals to decision to dismiss the case and constantly returns to the police for answers to her questions but she doesn’t seem to be getting anywhere. In the end she decides to hold a press conference and tell the world her story without the support of the justice systems and the police. Shiori obviously faces a lot of backlash from this even her own sister refuses to speak to her over it because she doesn’t understand why Shiori is doing what she is doing. However, as she discuss the attitudes to rape and daily gropes even as a young child you begin to understand why her story is so important. Shiori also notes that major reforms are where to happen in 2020 which was 3 years after this book was written and I will definitely be researching whether or not these changes were actioned in Japan and it has made me more aware of things to look out for when I am in Japan in 2022.
Buy it here:
Paperback/Hardcover: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
I received this review copy from Edelweiss
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