Japan #MeToo survivor says media are failing in wake of Fuji TV scandal

by Katie Forster

Japanese media are still failing to report sexual assault cases properly, a key figure in the country's nascent #MeToo movement told AFP in the wake of the scandal surrounding celebrity Masahiro Nakai and Fuji TV.

Former boy band star Nakai was accused in a tabloid last month of sexually assaulting a woman in 2023, allegedly paying her some 90 million yen (about $570,000) as she signed a non-disclosure agreement.

The furore culminated last week with Nakai, 52, one of Fuji Television's most famous hosts, announcing his retirement.

Top executives at the company then resigned Monday after facing growing criticism over their handling of the case.

Shiori Ito, who won a landmark civil case in 2019 against a prominent TV reporter accused of raping her, said she was not surprised to hear about the Nakai allegations.

"Japanese media are more comfortable to (report on) sexual violence compared to when I went public in 2017," said Ito, 35, who has turned her ordeal into an Oscar-nominated documentary.

But the journalist added: "I am disappointed because of how media are always, and still, covering these cases up for powerful people, not just Nakai, but who's sitting in the boardroom."

In the Nakai case, most Japanese media used the word "trouble" instead of directly referring to the allegations of sexual violence -- something Ito feels "so mad" about.

"It could sound like there was romantic involvement," or as if "the woman must have done something", she said.

- 'Stones thrown' -

Despite several high-profile cases, Japan has never seen an outpouring of #MeToo allegations, Ito said.

Instead, in Japan, survivors who reveal their identity get "all these stones thrown at them, these nasty words online", said Ito.

"I knew how hard it would be speaking up about (my) case, as a woman, with my face and name, but I'm still constantly trolled," she said.

"It's not creating a safe space for other survivors who could possibly want to speak out to seek justice."

Government surveys in Japan show few rape victims report the crime to the police, although the number of consultations at sexual violence support centres is increasing.

Former soldier Rina Gonoi won praise but also faced online hate when she posted on YouTube about being sexually assaulted by male colleagues, three of whom were later given suspended jail sentences.

Earlier this month, the president of Fuji Television -- who resigned Monday -- admitted the channel knew about the Nakai scandal before it was reported in the media and dozens of brands pulled their adverts from the network.

Some media have described an endemic culture within Japan's entertainment industry of wining and dining top presenters, with women staffers often invited to join such parties.

Ito said this "toxic culture" is easy to imagine, because "sexual violence, harassment, always happens when power is unbalanced".

- Black Box Diaries -

Ito alleges that former TV journalist Noriyuki Yamaguchi -- with close links to then-prime minister Shinzo Abe -- raped her after inviting her to dinner to discuss a job opportunity in 2015. He denies the charges.

Her film "Black Box Diaries", nominated for best documentary feature at the Academy Awards, shows how she was initially ignored by police, prosecutors and many media outlets.

Having told Ito there was insufficient evidence, police then said they would arrest Yamaguchi -- before suddenly backing off.

In the film, Ito records one police investigator telling her the order came from "higher-ups".

She eventually won $30,000 in damages in a civil case followed by a toughening of Japan's rape laws.

While the documentary has been shown around the world, it has not been released in Japan.

A lawyer representing Ito has said the documentary uses video and audio that was covertly shot or meant for court, which is "legally and ethically problematic".

"Even though we're Oscar-nominated, I haven't been able to show my film in Japan," Ito said.

"I still feel so isolated."

© Agence France-Presse