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Czarna skrzynka. Sprawa, która stała się symbolem japońskiego #MeToo
W 2017 roku dziennikarka Shiori Itō publicznie wyznała, że dwa lata wcześniej została zgwałcona przez uznanego dziennikarza, Noriyukiego Yamaguchiego. Czarna skrzynka to szczery zapis zmagań z systemem – trudnym, upokarzającym dochodzeniem oraz z góry skazanym na porażkę procesem karnym. A także opowieść o traumie i braku zrozumienia, którego doświadczyła ze strony społeczeństwa i bliskich osób.
Książka Itō wzburzyła opinią publiczną i stała się katalizatorem ruchu #MeToo w Japonii. Oprócz głosów poparcia autorkę zalała też fala krytyki. Sprawa miała swój finał dopiero w 2019 roku – gdy Itō wygrała proces cywilny przeciwko Yamaguchiemu.
Czarna skrzynka to lektura trudna, ale inspirująca – dowód na to, że bez względu na wszystko, warto walczyć o to, żeby prawda wyszła na jaw. Trudno mówić o współczesnym japońskim feminizmie bez książki Shiori Itō.
Książka Itō wzburzyła opinią publiczną i stała się katalizatorem ruchu #MeToo w Japonii. Oprócz głosów poparcia autorkę zalała też fala krytyki. Sprawa miała swój finał dopiero w 2019 roku – gdy Itō wygrała proces cywilny przeciwko Yamaguchiemu.
Czarna skrzynka to lektura trudna, ale inspirująca – dowód na to, że bez względu na wszystko, warto walczyć o to, żeby prawda wyszła na jaw. Trudno mówić o współczesnym japońskim feminizmie bez książki Shiori Itō.
232 pages, Paperback
First published October 18, 2017
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March 11, 2020I want to start by saying that I cannot imagine ever giving this book a rating. I would never ever judge someone's experience and the way they talk about it.
the pure strength, the courage it must have taken to write this book... Shiori Ito is a woman I deeply, deeply admire. raising awareness about rape & the judicial system in Japan, sharing the ugly moments of her story with us, never stoping to fight for the truth... I admire her. reading her words was an honour.
the pure strength, the courage it must have taken to write this book... Shiori Ito is a woman I deeply, deeply admire. raising awareness about rape & the judicial system in Japan, sharing the ugly moments of her story with us, never stoping to fight for the truth... I admire her. reading her words was an honour.
March 2, 2024
Jestem pod ogromnym wrażeniem. Nie tylko samej książki, ale i redakcji, tłumaczenia, przypisów i posłowia. Świetnie dopracowany reportaż, a od lektury trudno się oderwać, chociaż nie należy do łatwych.
September 23, 2023
Bạo lực tình dục gây ra nỗi sợ và đau đớn không mong muốn cho tất cả các nạn nhân. Chấn thương của chúng ta tiếp tục trong một thời gian dài sau đó. Tại sao tôi bị cưỡng hiếp? Không có câu trả lời dứt khoát cho câu hỏi này. Tôi đã tự trách mình, hết lần này đến lần khác. Nó chỉ đơn giản là một cái gì đó đã xảy ra với tôi. Và thật không may, không ai có thể thay đổi những gì đã xảy ra.
Vào năm 2015, Shiori Ito, cô gái đầy hoài bão với ước mơ trở thành một nhà báo và Yamaguchi Noriyuki, một nhà báo có tiếng và còn là người quen của cố thủ tướng Shinzo Abe, cả hai đã có cuộc hẹn và bàn về công việc đầy triển vọng của cô Shiori. Tuy nhiên sau khi dùng bữa tối, Shiori không thể ngờ rằng cuộc sống của cô ấy sẽ thay đổi... Shiori đã bị đánh thuốc mê và đưa về khách sạn của ông Yamaguchi, sau khi tỉnh dậy Shiori phát hiện bản thân đã bị xâm hại tình dục. Quá sốc, hoảng sợ và bối rối trước những gì đang xảy ra, Shiori đã bỏ qua hết những điều cần thiết kể cả việc tố giác. Sau khi lấy lại bình tĩnh, Shiori nhận ra, rằng luật pháp, cảnh sát và các trung tâm trợ giúp của Nhật bản đang phớt lờ trường hợp của cô ấy.
Điều đầu tiên mà mình nói đến, đây là một câu chuyện có thật về một cô gái muốn thay đổi những sai sót, sự vô trách nhiệm trong hệ thống Tư pháp của Nhật bản đối với các trường hợp xâm hại/tấn công tình dục. Trong phần đầu, mình được giới thiệu về Shiori Ito - một cô gái mạnh mẽ, quyết đoán, có tính tự lập và định hướng được những gì cô ấy mơ ước. Nhưng dù mạnh mẽ đến mấy khi đứng trước vấn đề kia, Shiori đã sốc và không thể đối phó kịp với mọi thứ.
Mặc dù tôi đã trở lại nơi tôi nên cảm thấy an toàn, nhưng tôi không thể giữ nổi chút bình tĩnh nào. Ngồi trên giường, cố nhớ lại những gì đã xảy ra, nhưng trải nghiệm khủng khiếp vừa rồi cứ hiện về trong căn phòng yên tĩnh.Tôi muốn quên đi tất cả. Tách khỏi nỗi đau và cảm giác cứ kéo dài trong cơ thể mình. Có một sự thôi thúc tôi cởi bỏ cơ thể của tôi và ném nó đi.
Và khi cố gắng tìm kiếm sự giúp đỡ ngoài xã hội, Shiori nhận được gì? Trung tâm y tế không hề có sự tận tình hay bất kỳ hướng dẫn nào cho nạn nhân bị hiếp dâm, cảnh sát phớt lờ trường hợp của Shiori và họ khuyên cô ấy từ bỏ vì đối phương có thể hủy hoại sự nghiệp mà cô ấy mơ ước.
Trước đây tôi đã nhiều lần nhìn thấy cảnh trong các bản tin ở Nhật bản, đó là một xã hội hoàn toàn do nam giới thống trị.
Bên cạnh đó, trong quá trình điều tra, cách làm việc của cảnh sát khiến Shiori cảm thấy như thể cô ấy bị "hiếp dâm lần hai".
Kinh nghiệm tình dục trong quá khứ, hoặc kiểu đàn ông mà bạn thích có thể ảnh hưởng đến phán quyết của cảnh sát về một vụ án không? Nó có liên quan gì đến cuộc điều tra không?
Những gì mà Yamaguchi đã gây cho Shiori không chỉ về thể xác, mà còn về tinh thần - dẫn đến việc Shiori mắc phải PTSD. Còn hệt thống Tư pháp Nhật khiến cô ấy mất niềm tin. Trong cuốn sách Shiori đề cập trường hợp của cô ấy như một chiếc "hộp đen", càng mở thì lại càng có vô số "hộp đen" khác.
Giọng văn của Shiori Ito không có gì đặc biệt với mình, nhưng mình thích những nghiên cứu của Shiori về luật pháp và sự trợ giúp về các vấn nạn xâm hại/tấn công tình dục trên thế giới, đưa ra những thiếu sót mà Nhật bản còn thiếu. Trong một nghiên cứu của mình, Shiori đã liệt kê Thụy Sỹ là quốc gia ghi nhận nhiều trường hợp xâm hại tình dục nhất, nhưng điều khiến mình ngạc nhiên ở đây là trong nghiên cứu của Shiori, Ấn Độ lại là quốc gia ghi nhận ít trường hợp (nhưng theo mình nhớ Ấn Độ lại là quốc gia có tỷ lệ nạn hiếp dâm cao nhất). Shiori đã chỉ ra, dù Thụy Sỹ ghi nhận nhiều trường hợp xâm hại tình dục cao nhất, nhưng họ biết cách xây dựng một cộng đồng nơi nạn nhân bị xâm hại có thể dám lên tiếng, có thể nhận được sự giúp đỡ nhanh chóng và đầy đủ. Nói về vấn nạn hiếp dâm bằng thuốc mê.
Chẳng có hành trình nào là dễ dàng cả! Shiori gặp không ít chông gai để có thể lên tiếng trường hợp của cô ấy. Shiori muốn thay đổi những suy nghĩ cổ hũ, muốn bỏ đi cái mác "nạn nhân" thường bị ép đặt.
Chỉ là "nạn nhân mặc áo sơ mi trắng, cúc áo cài đến tận cằm, trên mặt lộ rõ vẻ buồn bã" - tôi muốn đập nát kiểu nhân vật không biết ai xây dựng này. Không nên đổ lỗi bất cứ thứ gì nạn nhân mặc hay không mặc, cũng không nên coi đó là lý do khiến họ trở thành nạn nhân.
Dù kết quả của buổi họp báo mà Shiori muốn tổ chức có ra sao, hay nó có thay đổi được pháp luật của Nhật bản hay không, thì mình vẫn biết được Shiori đã đủ mạnh mẽ khi dám lên tiếng và tiết lộ danh tính của bản thân cô ấy. Shiori lên tiếng không chỉ cho bản thân mà còn cho em gái cô ấy, hay những người có đã và có thể sẽ trở thành nạn nhân của xâm hại/tấn công tình dục.
Hiếp dâm là giết chết linh hồn của một người. Mặc dù vậy, linh hồn vẫn đang từng chút một chữa lành vết thương, chỉ cần còn sống, nó có thể từ từ tìm lại chính mình. Con người có sức mạnh hồi sinh như thế. Mỗi người có một sức mạnh "hồi sinh" của riêng mình. Còn với tôi, đó là theo đuổi sự thật.
September 24, 2021
‘Being a victim was not my job, nor was it part of my character. As I prepared to tell the world my story, I despaired at the prospect of having to live with this label for the rest of my life.’
An essential, and important read. The only complaint I have is of the ‘dramatic’ narrative tone (drowning me head with Hans Zimmer and Jablonsky vibes) that made the reading experience a bit awkward with cinematic chapter titles like “Reassuring Allies Appear”. The beginning was not exactly impressive – felt more like a random blog post, but the middle and end were glorious and appropriately accompanied with well-researched data/references. However, it’s also worth noting that she’s a journalist, not a ‘professional writer’, and that this was certainly not an easy thing to write about. So, despite my nit-picky, petty criticisms, this was overall a brilliant book. Fab translation by Powell (not a surprise as I’ve previously enjoyed her other translation work). Titled Axis Press – never disappoints (at least not yet).
‘When the former criminal code was written a hundred and ten years ago, Japanese society was wholly patriarchal. A woman’s right to express herself was not publicly recognized. In that era, not even all men had the right to vote. It is patently ridiculous for laws reflecting the spirit of that time to be applied to court cases today.’
‘The reason why the rate of rape is so high in Sweden, compared to other countries, is because of the method that Sweden uses to calculate the number of occurrences. For example, when a victim has been sexually abused by a relative over a long period of time, that doesn’t count as a single incident; each time the victim was raped counts as a separate incident.’
As a woman already in her twenties, I was not shocked or surprised by the content of Ito's book. Most of us have experienced some degree/kind of sexual harassments and assaults in our lives, but not everyone is as tenacious, persevering and generous as Ito. Essentially, exposing herself at her most vulnerable state and to get her story out there doesn’t ‘really’ benefit her. She didn’t even get much/enough money from the court case itself. But to then go on and spend even more time and mental/emotional energy writing this book, sharing her story/experience so openly with the rest of us – was undoubtedly an extremely generous gift to the world. Reading Ito’s book makes me hopeful and interested about the changes to come – in particular, the legal/justice system – how crimes and violence against women are dealt with – esp. in Asia where it is often a bit more ‘backward’ when it comes to these matters. As a horror film fanatic, I stumbled upon an article on ‘Junko Furuta’ a while ago after I Googled ‘about what inspired the ‘Ju-On’ films’. Reading Ito’s book made me think of Furuta. And thinking about it all makes me furious. What more? There are still places in the world today where women are still being forced to marry their rapists – and this is a whole other pit of bullshit and fuckery that we still need to fix, together – one small step and a time.
I was going to leave this unrated as I can never feel comfortable enough rating a book that is based on someone’s personal experience. But I don’t think that giving Ito’s book a 5-star rating feels wrong at all. It’s most deserving of it if anything.
‘…one of the police officers had said: “It isn’t convincing unless you cry more, or get angry. You’ve got to act more like a victim. Later, when I visited a psychiatrist, I was told that children who have been abused will often speak about their trauma as if they are describing something that happened to someone they know. I could relate to that.’
‘Seeing the video, Mr. A. seemed to acknowledge for the first time that I might have a case. And yet, he still had this to say: “This guy is famous and in a position of power, and you work in the same industry as him, don’t you? From now on, most likely, you won’t be able to keep working in that business. All the hard work that you’ve done up until now will go to waste.’
‘Standing before these photographs, I realized that I still had a voice of my own…I would speak up and speak out. I had no other choice. My job was to bear witness. To remain silent would condone the crime that had been committed.’
March 8, 2024
Na pierwszą książkę z gatunku nonfiction od wydawnictwa Tajfuny czekałem od pierwszych wspominek na jej temat. „Czarna skrzynka” jest bowiem tytułem wyjątkowym, gdyż w zasadzie niewiele wydaje się u nas współczesnej literatury faktu dotyczącej stricte spraw społecznych pochodzącej z Azji. Opisane przez autorkę doświadczenie przemocy seksualnej, chęć dochodzenia do sprawiedliwości oraz próby wpłynięcia na poprawę sytuacji prawnej w tym zakresie były szeroko komentowane i stały się zapalnikiem do dyskusji na temat braku systemowego wsparcia oraz przeszkód, które skutecznie zniechęcają przed zgłaszaniem służbom doznanych krzywd.
Shiori Itō opisuje wszystkie wydarzenia ze szczegółami, wręcz na pozór w suchej, czysto relacyjnej formie. Czuć tu dużo złości i frustracji, przede wszystkim na japoński system sprawiedliwości oraz opieki zdrowotnej, które zawodzą i nie spełniają swojej roli. Osoby wrażliwe na opisy przemocy ostrzegam, że jest tutaj dużo potencjalnie triggerujących fragmentów, nie tylko dotyczących bezpośrednio autorki, przez co książka może być dla niektórych nieodpowiednia. Po lekturze czytelnik zostaje pozostawiony głównie z myślą, że choć walka o prawa kobiet toczy się na różnych frontach na całym świecie, to wciąż mamy jeszcze długą drogę do przejścia jako społeczeństwo.
Poza samą książką i jej treścią, warto zwrócić uwagę na fantastyczne polskie wydanie. Oprócz świetnego posłowia, które nadaje „Czarnej skrzynce” dodatkowego kontekstu, sporo jest tutaj przypisów rozszerzających lub aktualizujących przytaczane przez autorkę dane i statystyki. Dzięki temu książka wydaje się jeszcze bliższa i, pomimo tematyki, bardziej przystępna czytelnikowi. Z niecierpliwością czekam na inne tytuły z tej serii, bo pierwszy strzał okazał się niezwykle trafny.
Shiori Itō opisuje wszystkie wydarzenia ze szczegółami, wręcz na pozór w suchej, czysto relacyjnej formie. Czuć tu dużo złości i frustracji, przede wszystkim na japoński system sprawiedliwości oraz opieki zdrowotnej, które zawodzą i nie spełniają swojej roli. Osoby wrażliwe na opisy przemocy ostrzegam, że jest tutaj dużo potencjalnie triggerujących fragmentów, nie tylko dotyczących bezpośrednio autorki, przez co książka może być dla niektórych nieodpowiednia. Po lekturze czytelnik zostaje pozostawiony głównie z myślą, że choć walka o prawa kobiet toczy się na różnych frontach na całym świecie, to wciąż mamy jeszcze długą drogę do przejścia jako społeczeństwo.
Poza samą książką i jej treścią, warto zwrócić uwagę na fantastyczne polskie wydanie. Oprócz świetnego posłowia, które nadaje „Czarnej skrzynce” dodatkowego kontekstu, sporo jest tutaj przypisów rozszerzających lub aktualizujących przytaczane przez autorkę dane i statystyki. Dzięki temu książka wydaje się jeszcze bliższa i, pomimo tematyki, bardziej przystępna czytelnikowi. Z niecierpliwością czekam na inne tytuły z tej serii, bo pierwszy strzał okazał się niezwykle trafny.
January 7, 2021
Videorecensione: https://youtu.be/Q54c185CZ7Y
December 3, 2018
We need an English translation of this book. Currently there’s a Korean translation by Mimesis, and a French translation is underway.
July 9, 2024
Nie oceniam samej historii, bo nie mam do tego żadnego prawa. Ale to, jak ta książka została wydana, przetłumaczona, ta mnogość przypisów i bardzo dobre posłowie Karoliny Bednarz - Tajfuny robią to dobrze. Więcej non-fiction poproszę!
March 6, 2024
historia druzgocąca, przerażająca, momentami mrożąca krew w żyłach, wzmagająca we mnie niesamowitą agresję ale też podziw dla pani ito
napisane i przetłumaczone wspaniale, rzetelnie napisane podsumowanie z mnogością przypisów- tyle ile na tych 10 stronach to nie ma w niektórych książkach non-fiction
więcej tajfunów non- fiction i to zaraz teraz
napisane i przetłumaczone wspaniale, rzetelnie napisane podsumowanie z mnogością przypisów- tyle ile na tych 10 stronach to nie ma w niektórych książkach non-fiction
więcej tajfunów non- fiction i to zaraz teraz
July 18, 2021
BLACK BOX—one of the most important books I’ve read over the years. If you’re familiar with Chanel Miller’s Know My Name and how heartbreaking it was, brace yourself reading this one. While Know My Name shows you how the whole court process of seeking justice takes a toll on Chanel Miller psychologically, in Black Box you’ll read e-mail correspondences between Shiori Ito and her assailant, Noriyuki Yamaguchi.
Aside the fact that it was well-written and gripping, this book was also a really emotional ride—my heart raced every time I flip through the pages, and I had to take my time instead of reading this in one sitting. The audacity of the assailant to gaslight her! My head was boiling, and I was so ready to punch Yamaguchi in the face (and I still am so ready to go on full-blown violence against sexual perpetrators).
TRIGGER WARNING: RAPE.
Yamaguchi wasn’t a stranger to Ito. Before the assault happened, they agreed to meet over dinner to talk about Ito’s job prospect working in the industry while Yamaguchi is in Japan. Night passed and Ito woke up to severe pain and confusion—and Yamaguchi was on top of her. It was a total blur of how she got there, but for sure she knew she had to get the hell out of the place. Being shocked and confused, she didn’t know what to do next. She ended up getting a prescribed morning after pill from the nearest OB/GYN first before contacting a nonprofit for sexual assault victims—which wasn’t helpful because they can’t provide her any information unless she comes in person. After talked to some of her closest friends, Ito decided to go talk to the police and report the quasi-rape after 5 days. An exhausting process because she had to keep repeating her story multiple times to different people there, only to listen “this kind of thing happens all the time and there’s no easy way to investigate cases like these” from her investigator.
She proceeded although the law is outdated: the criminal code regarding rape crimes dated back to 1907, and it says that a person cannot be charged with a crime unless the victim files a formal complaint to prosecute. The public persecutor also referred Ito’s case as a black box—it happened behind closed doors, and they couldn’t know what happened—did sexual intercourse happen? Was there any consent?
Aside the outdated law, she also faced so many challenges in pursuit of justice: from collecting the evidence, a sudden order from the high rank from the police department which canceled the arrest of Yamaguchi, and backlash Ito faced after holding press conference. It was really heartbreaking to see how much a survivor had to go through.
This made me think that I also don’t know what I have to do after an assault happened. Should I go to the police first? Or should I call a crisis center? Would the law be on my side, easing the process without adding more layer of trauma? Even though I have read so many stories and theories on sexual assault, will I ever be prepared, mentally and physically? My lifelong question is: why do victims has to do and bear so much pain just to prove that they were violated? It might be just a normal day for the perpetrator, but it sure would be a life-changing, soul-killing event for the victim. Within Indonesian context: why do most of us love to ask about the chronology so much, although we are irrelevant to the story and all we need to do is to be an ally? When will the sexual violence eradication bill be passed, so that the victims of sexual violence can be guaranteed to have their case be handled, their privacy be protected, and their well-being be recovered?
Aside the fact that it was well-written and gripping, this book was also a really emotional ride—my heart raced every time I flip through the pages, and I had to take my time instead of reading this in one sitting. The audacity of the assailant to gaslight her! My head was boiling, and I was so ready to punch Yamaguchi in the face (and I still am so ready to go on full-blown violence against sexual perpetrators).
TRIGGER WARNING: RAPE.
Yamaguchi wasn’t a stranger to Ito. Before the assault happened, they agreed to meet over dinner to talk about Ito’s job prospect working in the industry while Yamaguchi is in Japan. Night passed and Ito woke up to severe pain and confusion—and Yamaguchi was on top of her. It was a total blur of how she got there, but for sure she knew she had to get the hell out of the place. Being shocked and confused, she didn’t know what to do next. She ended up getting a prescribed morning after pill from the nearest OB/GYN first before contacting a nonprofit for sexual assault victims—which wasn’t helpful because they can’t provide her any information unless she comes in person. After talked to some of her closest friends, Ito decided to go talk to the police and report the quasi-rape after 5 days. An exhausting process because she had to keep repeating her story multiple times to different people there, only to listen “this kind of thing happens all the time and there’s no easy way to investigate cases like these” from her investigator.
She proceeded although the law is outdated: the criminal code regarding rape crimes dated back to 1907, and it says that a person cannot be charged with a crime unless the victim files a formal complaint to prosecute. The public persecutor also referred Ito’s case as a black box—it happened behind closed doors, and they couldn’t know what happened—did sexual intercourse happen? Was there any consent?
Aside the outdated law, she also faced so many challenges in pursuit of justice: from collecting the evidence, a sudden order from the high rank from the police department which canceled the arrest of Yamaguchi, and backlash Ito faced after holding press conference. It was really heartbreaking to see how much a survivor had to go through.
This made me think that I also don’t know what I have to do after an assault happened. Should I go to the police first? Or should I call a crisis center? Would the law be on my side, easing the process without adding more layer of trauma? Even though I have read so many stories and theories on sexual assault, will I ever be prepared, mentally and physically? My lifelong question is: why do victims has to do and bear so much pain just to prove that they were violated? It might be just a normal day for the perpetrator, but it sure would be a life-changing, soul-killing event for the victim. Within Indonesian context: why do most of us love to ask about the chronology so much, although we are irrelevant to the story and all we need to do is to be an ally? When will the sexual violence eradication bill be passed, so that the victims of sexual violence can be guaranteed to have their case be handled, their privacy be protected, and their well-being be recovered?
January 23, 2018
女性として、人間として、真実に忠実でありたいという強い姿勢を本当に尊敬する。こうして書いてくれたことに感謝。日本社会の構造がいきなり変わることは期待できないけれど、読んだ人が少しでも問題意識を持ったり、何が正しいことなのかを考えるきっかけになったりすることが、社会を変える希望だと思う。本当に、誰にでも起こりえることなんやから。レイプ被害に遭った人たちが助けを得られる社会になりますように。早く山口氏が真実を話して謝ってくれますように。詩織さんの心の傷が癒えますように。
I respect so much of her attitude as a woman - as a human being - of desiring to be honest to the truth. I'm very grateful that she wrote this book. It's difficult to expect Japanese society to change quickly, but I'm hopeful that whoever read this book would start to see rape as an issue or start to think about justice - those people make up the society after all. Rape can happen to anyone. I hope and pray that the Japanese society becomes a place where victims can receive adequate help, that Mr. Yamagushi admits the truth and apoligizes, and that Shiori's wound in her heart would close a little by a little.
I respect so much of her attitude as a woman - as a human being - of desiring to be honest to the truth. I'm very grateful that she wrote this book. It's difficult to expect Japanese society to change quickly, but I'm hopeful that whoever read this book would start to see rape as an issue or start to think about justice - those people make up the society after all. Rape can happen to anyone. I hope and pray that the Japanese society becomes a place where victims can receive adequate help, that Mr. Yamagushi admits the truth and apoligizes, and that Shiori's wound in her heart would close a little by a little.
March 21, 2024
Nie mogę oceniać czyjejś historii i tego jak ktoś decyduje się ją opowiedzieć. Mogę za to oceniać fantastyczne wydanie, dopracowaną redakcję i tłumaczenie - we wszystkie te aspekty włożono mnóstwo czasu i energii. Świetny i wciągający reportaż, który ciężko odłożyć. Nie mogę się doczekać co Tajfuny nam jeszcze sprezentują w ramach tej serii.
May 17, 2022
Hoci žijeme v 21. storočí, problematika znásilnenia (či sexuálneho násilia vo všeobecnosti) je v mnohých krajinách ešte stále do istej miery tabuizovaná, zahaľovaná rúškom odmietania či mlčanlivosti a neraz sa stáva, že ak sa obete predsa len odhodlajú vyjsť s pravdou von, nevyhnú sa sekundárnej viktimizácii a osočovaniu zo strany spoločnosti. Upravený zovňajšok? O čosi viac odhaľujúce oblečenie? Očakávaná "protislužba" za pozvanie na večeru či nebodaj len zdvorilý úsmev, ktorý si páchateľ egoisticky vysvetlil ako prejav sympatií a celkom otvoreného flirtovania? Scenárov, pri ktorých by si verejnosť povedala "súcitím s nimi, ale..." je ozaj neúrekom, a tak nie je prekvapivé, že odhodlať sa podeliť sa o svoj príbeh, nie je pre poškodených vôbec jednoduché.
Japonská freelance novinárka Šiori Itó však v sebe potrebnú silu našla a hoci ju samotný zážitok a následné opakované spomínanie naň (spojené s donekonečna sa ťahajúcim vyšetrovaním) obrali o značnú časť slobody a duševnej pohody, nevdzala sa. V snahe potrestať vinníka, znovunadobudnúť stratenú sebaúctu (respektíve sebahodnotu) a zároveň poukázať na skostnatenosť japonskej legislatívy, sa roky zúfalo (a neraz neúspešne) domáhala spravodlivosti. Volala po zmene. Bojovala.
Spísaním mrazivej osobnej výpovede, knihy Black Box, v ktorej pibližovala svoj život pred, počas i po znásilnení, poukázala na spôsob, akým ju i jej okolie desivý zážitok poznačil - opisovala nezabudnuteľnú podporu priateľov, naštrbený vzťah so sestrou i snahu rodiny odhovoriť ju od "verejného vystúpenia", zdôrazňovala postupne narastajúcu beznádej, stratu viery v etický prístup polície k prípadu i podozrenie o "ťahaní za nitky" z vyšších miest, no pri tom ani zďaleka neostala.
Itó sa nechcela prezentovať ako obeť, ktorej život sa znenadzania zmietal medzi strachom, bolesťou a zmätkom, ale naopak túžila na príklade vlastného znásilnenia poukázať na dôležitejšie problémy japonskej spoločnosti. Na nedostatočnú ochranu jednotlivcov zo strany systému, na voľne interpretovateľnú definíciu znásilnenia, na chabú informovanosť verejnosti o danej problematike či na absenciu špecializovaných zariadení, ktoré by sa o obeť postarali (respektíve ju navigovali) po zdravotnej i právnej stránke.
Vedeli ste napríklad, že v Japonsku rozlišujú pojmy znásilnenie a kvázi znásilnenie, ktoré sa od toho "typického" znásilnenia odlišuje napríklad len takými zdanlivo irelevantnými vecami, ako že obeť bola opitá/zdrogovaná, respektíve tým, že na nej sexuálne násilie vykonal niekto, koho poznala a na základe toho s ním dobrovolne ostala sama v miestnosti? Nepovedala si "nie"? Tak si teda súhlasila. Poznala si tú osobu (bol to rodinný priateľ, tréner či rodinný príslušník? Tak si teda súhlasila. Nedala si telom jasne najavo, že o sex nestojíš? Tak si teda súhlasila... A taká všeobecne známa vec, že obete sú tvárou v tvár sexuálnemu násiliu neraz doslova paralyzované, neschopné reakcie, vôbec nezaváži... Choré!
Blac box nie je ľahké čítanie, no rozhodne stojí za prečítanie - ponúka neľahký príbeh, no zároveň poukazuje aj na odvrátenú tvár krajiny, ktorá je paradoxne považovaná za jednu z najbezpečnejších na svete.
Japonská freelance novinárka Šiori Itó však v sebe potrebnú silu našla a hoci ju samotný zážitok a následné opakované spomínanie naň (spojené s donekonečna sa ťahajúcim vyšetrovaním) obrali o značnú časť slobody a duševnej pohody, nevdzala sa. V snahe potrestať vinníka, znovunadobudnúť stratenú sebaúctu (respektíve sebahodnotu) a zároveň poukázať na skostnatenosť japonskej legislatívy, sa roky zúfalo (a neraz neúspešne) domáhala spravodlivosti. Volala po zmene. Bojovala.
Spísaním mrazivej osobnej výpovede, knihy Black Box, v ktorej pibližovala svoj život pred, počas i po znásilnení, poukázala na spôsob, akým ju i jej okolie desivý zážitok poznačil - opisovala nezabudnuteľnú podporu priateľov, naštrbený vzťah so sestrou i snahu rodiny odhovoriť ju od "verejného vystúpenia", zdôrazňovala postupne narastajúcu beznádej, stratu viery v etický prístup polície k prípadu i podozrenie o "ťahaní za nitky" z vyšších miest, no pri tom ani zďaleka neostala.
Itó sa nechcela prezentovať ako obeť, ktorej život sa znenadzania zmietal medzi strachom, bolesťou a zmätkom, ale naopak túžila na príklade vlastného znásilnenia poukázať na dôležitejšie problémy japonskej spoločnosti. Na nedostatočnú ochranu jednotlivcov zo strany systému, na voľne interpretovateľnú definíciu znásilnenia, na chabú informovanosť verejnosti o danej problematike či na absenciu špecializovaných zariadení, ktoré by sa o obeť postarali (respektíve ju navigovali) po zdravotnej i právnej stránke.
Vedeli ste napríklad, že v Japonsku rozlišujú pojmy znásilnenie a kvázi znásilnenie, ktoré sa od toho "typického" znásilnenia odlišuje napríklad len takými zdanlivo irelevantnými vecami, ako že obeť bola opitá/zdrogovaná, respektíve tým, že na nej sexuálne násilie vykonal niekto, koho poznala a na základe toho s ním dobrovolne ostala sama v miestnosti? Nepovedala si "nie"? Tak si teda súhlasila. Poznala si tú osobu (bol to rodinný priateľ, tréner či rodinný príslušník? Tak si teda súhlasila. Nedala si telom jasne najavo, že o sex nestojíš? Tak si teda súhlasila... A taká všeobecne známa vec, že obete sú tvárou v tvár sexuálnemu násiliu neraz doslova paralyzované, neschopné reakcie, vôbec nezaváži... Choré!
Blac box nie je ľahké čítanie, no rozhodne stojí za prečítanie - ponúka neľahký príbeh, no zároveň poukazuje aj na odvrátenú tvár krajiny, ktorá je paradoxne považovaná za jednu z najbezpečnejších na svete.
May 6, 2024
This book is an autobiography of Ms. Ito. The author spoke of her horrific rape & the series of events that happened afterwards. Ms Ito described many of the injustices relating to the Japanese police departments, the judicial system, & the Japanese culture in general. The topic of rape is apparently taboo & being a rape victim in Japan does not usually get you adequate protection from the legal system. The book is an eye opener for me. I didn’t know the laws against sexual crimes in Japan were so antiquated. Ms Ito is doing her part to change the outdated chauvinistic views of her country & I applaud her for it.
Read
March 9, 2024„Dopóki nie zaczniemy ujawniać takich absurdów, nie będziemy mieli innego wyjścia niż akceptować swój smutny los. Milczenie odbija się na naszym dalszym życiu i na życiu przyszłych pokoleń”.
Dlatego właśnie książki takie jak ta dalej powinny być wydawane i omawiane.
Dlatego właśnie książki takie jak ta dalej powinny być wydawane i omawiane.
March 5, 2024
Dużo emocji podczas lektury, ale warto czytać!!
October 31, 2021
Une lecture difficile, mais indispensable.
Le traitement subit par les victimes de viol doit changer non seulement au Japon, mais aussi dans le monde entier.
Le traitement subit par les victimes de viol doit changer non seulement au Japon, mais aussi dans le monde entier.
Read
July 15, 2021Rape must be the most underreported crime anywhere in the world. Despite all progress made by Women and (we see setbacks these days everywhere), the silence about it is deafening in many male dominated and patriarchal societies.
Shiori Ito talked about this years ago and this book is her account of the sexual assault she experienced. Her book has opened a space for conversations about such crimes in Japan and one can see how brave she's been through all these years.
Shiori Ito talked about this years ago and this book is her account of the sexual assault she experienced. Her book has opened a space for conversations about such crimes in Japan and one can see how brave she's been through all these years.
Read
July 11, 2021Huge thanks to Feminist Press for the e-ARC. And thank you, Shiori Ito, for telling the world your story.
___
This is a story of a nation’s silence and how a courageous woman broke it.
In 2015, aspiring journalist Shiori Ito and Noriyuki Yamaguchi, a prominent journalist who turned out to be an acquaintance of the then-prime minister Shinzo Abe, met over dinner to talk about a job prospect. Yet, little did Ito know that her life was about to change forever. Having been drugged and brought to Yamaguchi’s hotel room, Ito woke up to him being on top of her. Due to shock, confusion, and fear, she did not do what she should have done right after the assault, i.e. heading to a legal institution and getting evidence collected with the use of rape kits. On top of that, she reached out to a rape crisis center for help but met with refusal. She was told that the center was not able to provide any help unless she agreed to an interview.
With the help and support from her friends, family, and the legal personnels, Ito made it through the yearslong, arduous legal process to bring Yamaguchi to justice. Eventually, she won the case. Yet, that was not without challenges and obstacles. Outdated rape and sexual assault laws - which dated back to 1907 - that come with a very limited definition and doesn’t reflect the reality. According to the laws, there are two criteria to turn a rape case into a prosecutable one. First, resistance on the part of the victim. Nevertheless, studies have shown that the victim who is in shock tends to display freeze responses during the assault. Thus, resistance appears to be beyond their capability. Second, it involves two people who do not know each other.
“Black box”. Part of the rationale provided by the authorities in dropping the case and charges against Yamaguchi was that Ito’s case was a “black box”: the incident had happened behind closed doors and was thus unprosecutable. The conspicuous lack of initiative and dubious investigative moves on the police’s part. Besides countless interviews with several officers and prosecutors, Ito was subjected to the “persuasion” that insisted her on accepting an out-of-court settlement. In addition, the omission of key testimony, as well as the authority’s sudden decision to not arrest Yamaguchi though an arrest warrant had been issued had called the authority’s integrity into question. All this suggests the failure of the justice system of Japan that does not protect the rights of rape victims and that perpetuates the ‘second rape’. It is one that has operated on red tape and power abuse by figures of high social standing.
In the sexual patriarchy where women are objectified and power imbalance exists in both domestic as well as public space, rape cases often go unreported and the victims are forced to suffer in silence. In Ito's case, she suffered from PTSD which brought about grave damage on both her physical and mental health: unforeseeable panic attacks, blackouts, and feeling of emptiness. As emotionally wounded as she was, Ito went on taking things into her own hands by gathering evidence and speaking up for the causes she fought for, including the necessity of functional medical and legal facilities in helping and treating rape victims; the significance of making information available for those who are looking for help. In fact, as mentioned in the introduction, Ito intends to cast light on how to prevent a sexual assault and what to do when it happens by telling her story. Though the trauma and emotional scars remain, Ito refused to subjugate herself to rape victim stereotypes which are marked by anger and sorrow. Her rationality, perseverance, and perceptiveness in working her way through the legal process and dealing with the media was truly admirable. Her unwavering determination to break the silence, reinstate the truth, bring justice to the perpetrator, and uncover the injustice of the legal institutions are all told in this personal, eye-opening, and empowering memoir.
___
This is a story of a nation’s silence and how a courageous woman broke it.
In 2015, aspiring journalist Shiori Ito and Noriyuki Yamaguchi, a prominent journalist who turned out to be an acquaintance of the then-prime minister Shinzo Abe, met over dinner to talk about a job prospect. Yet, little did Ito know that her life was about to change forever. Having been drugged and brought to Yamaguchi’s hotel room, Ito woke up to him being on top of her. Due to shock, confusion, and fear, she did not do what she should have done right after the assault, i.e. heading to a legal institution and getting evidence collected with the use of rape kits. On top of that, she reached out to a rape crisis center for help but met with refusal. She was told that the center was not able to provide any help unless she agreed to an interview.
With the help and support from her friends, family, and the legal personnels, Ito made it through the yearslong, arduous legal process to bring Yamaguchi to justice. Eventually, she won the case. Yet, that was not without challenges and obstacles. Outdated rape and sexual assault laws - which dated back to 1907 - that come with a very limited definition and doesn’t reflect the reality. According to the laws, there are two criteria to turn a rape case into a prosecutable one. First, resistance on the part of the victim. Nevertheless, studies have shown that the victim who is in shock tends to display freeze responses during the assault. Thus, resistance appears to be beyond their capability. Second, it involves two people who do not know each other.
“Black box”. Part of the rationale provided by the authorities in dropping the case and charges against Yamaguchi was that Ito’s case was a “black box”: the incident had happened behind closed doors and was thus unprosecutable. The conspicuous lack of initiative and dubious investigative moves on the police’s part. Besides countless interviews with several officers and prosecutors, Ito was subjected to the “persuasion” that insisted her on accepting an out-of-court settlement. In addition, the omission of key testimony, as well as the authority’s sudden decision to not arrest Yamaguchi though an arrest warrant had been issued had called the authority’s integrity into question. All this suggests the failure of the justice system of Japan that does not protect the rights of rape victims and that perpetuates the ‘second rape’. It is one that has operated on red tape and power abuse by figures of high social standing.
In the sexual patriarchy where women are objectified and power imbalance exists in both domestic as well as public space, rape cases often go unreported and the victims are forced to suffer in silence. In Ito's case, she suffered from PTSD which brought about grave damage on both her physical and mental health: unforeseeable panic attacks, blackouts, and feeling of emptiness. As emotionally wounded as she was, Ito went on taking things into her own hands by gathering evidence and speaking up for the causes she fought for, including the necessity of functional medical and legal facilities in helping and treating rape victims; the significance of making information available for those who are looking for help. In fact, as mentioned in the introduction, Ito intends to cast light on how to prevent a sexual assault and what to do when it happens by telling her story. Though the trauma and emotional scars remain, Ito refused to subjugate herself to rape victim stereotypes which are marked by anger and sorrow. Her rationality, perseverance, and perceptiveness in working her way through the legal process and dealing with the media was truly admirable. Her unwavering determination to break the silence, reinstate the truth, bring justice to the perpetrator, and uncover the injustice of the legal institutions are all told in this personal, eye-opening, and empowering memoir.
August 11, 2021
I remember, vaguely, hearing about Ito on the BBC news (I think it was the BBC), but I cannot say that I followed her story closely. But when the TLS had a review of this book, I remembered the news report and brought the book. It’s important for women, white women in particular, to realize that feminist is and should be intersectional and that not all feminist is white or European.
Ito’s memoir concerns her rape by a prominent manager in the Japanese news world and what happens after. It should be noted, and Ito notes this herself in her introduction, that she does tell details of the rape and it could be triggering.
Ito’s memoir isn’t about the rape but more about the aftermath and the struggles she had to go though to get her case acknowledged. This includes the re-enactment of the rape itself, where Ito had to go to the police station and have a dummy positioned on her in the ways she was attacked. This occurs after the struggle to even get the police to look into the charge.
Ito’s memoir also covers differences that were not really reported by most main stream international news outlets. One of these is the use of the legal term quasi rape (this is the English translation). The term is used to refer to “taking advantage of” a woman when she is incapacitated in some way (sleep, drunk etc.). Japanese law also made it important for the man accused of rape to understand that the term no was being used. It isn’t whether she said no, it is whether he understands expression of no.
Western readers might raise an eyebrow when Ito states that the American system doesn’t have a term like quasi rape. But this would be disregarding the fact that she is talking about the legal system, not how society can or does see an individual rape case. It is also important to note that when Ito goes public it has a totally different impact that someone in the West going bulk. This needs to be taken into consideration.
The book is extremely readable and should be widely read.
Ito’s memoir concerns her rape by a prominent manager in the Japanese news world and what happens after. It should be noted, and Ito notes this herself in her introduction, that she does tell details of the rape and it could be triggering.
Ito’s memoir isn’t about the rape but more about the aftermath and the struggles she had to go though to get her case acknowledged. This includes the re-enactment of the rape itself, where Ito had to go to the police station and have a dummy positioned on her in the ways she was attacked. This occurs after the struggle to even get the police to look into the charge.
Ito’s memoir also covers differences that were not really reported by most main stream international news outlets. One of these is the use of the legal term quasi rape (this is the English translation). The term is used to refer to “taking advantage of” a woman when she is incapacitated in some way (sleep, drunk etc.). Japanese law also made it important for the man accused of rape to understand that the term no was being used. It isn’t whether she said no, it is whether he understands expression of no.
Western readers might raise an eyebrow when Ito states that the American system doesn’t have a term like quasi rape. But this would be disregarding the fact that she is talking about the legal system, not how society can or does see an individual rape case. It is also important to note that when Ito goes public it has a totally different impact that someone in the West going bulk. This needs to be taken into consideration.
The book is extremely readable and should be widely read.
June 13, 2021
I don't quite know what to say about this book. It is obviously a highly personal story, but I also think it was quite well-written. I liked reading it (as much as you can like reading about a subject matter such as the author's rape) and I was engaged by the writing style. Because the book's cover says that it was the beginning of Japan's #MeToo-movement, though, I kind of expected it to be a bit more actual discussion of rape culture and everything surrounding the author's experience. I also personally don't quite agree with the idea that jail and the criminal justice system are the number one solutions in situations like these, which I think this story actually illustrates quite well. I found it odd that there was comparatively little discussion of Japan's harsh high criminal conviction rates and everything surrounding the Japanese prison industrial complex. The author touched on many things very briefly though, for example mentioning that the media attempted to paint her as actually Korean to signify that she was not to be trusted or possibly somehow "deserved" what happened to her. Similarly, I liked when she quoted one of the lawyers who described that the American and Japanese legal systems view and handle sex crimes very differently. Moments like these began to shed light on broader issues that are all part of the problem here. The events themselves speak of disgusting corrupted power structures and perpetrators protecting perpetrators, but it obviously is not reduced to problems in the police and legal systems. All in all, I am glad this was translated to give this book a broader audience, I hope that it might be republished including more words on some of the things I mentioned here, someday.
February 15, 2022
Didn’t know how much courage it needs to share her story with the public, as just one listener might be overwhelming. In 2022, at the appeal of her rape case, the high court ruled in favor of Shiori Ito, and this is almost 7 years after the rape in 2015. It was never that easy, but thank you for speaking up!
February 24, 2024
Silence does not bring peace.
You cannot solve a problem that you can’t see.
In the Introduction for this book, Itō states this story is to highlight how unhelpful and confusing the system is for rape victims in Japan to seek medical help and bring their cases to the court. She emphasizes this books isn’t meant to scare people with the good old ‘this could happen to you’ or just to share what happened to her. And yet, I don’t know, I saw a lot of myself in her with some things and it just made me empathize and made me angry and frustrated. This isn’t what the book is about, but I did appreciate knowing bits about her such as how she healed herself a bit after she started running, how she loves her little sister, and how she’s always desperate to move to a different country. I just could empathize a lot with it all, idk.
Anyways, I did appreciate getting to know her. Usually you see this when someone is murdered they humanize the victim, and it was nice that Itō got to humanize herself with her own words.
Moving on from this, I just don’t know how to say. How do you even review this book? Itō speaks about what led her to meet the piece of trash that assaulted her, what she remembers of her assault (and how she was potentially drugged), and what happened after - seeking help in Japan medically but also trying to bring this asshole to justice. How corrupt authorities called it off and even the court dismissed her case and she needed the media to bring her case back to where it had to be. And yet, this book ends with Itō still asking questions to the corrupt individuals that put social class over investigating a criminal case.
What horrified me here was, besides everything, is just, I don’t even know. There was so much wrong in here: people seeing she was unconscious when he dragged her around and doing nothing, the police not helping, the police asking her to reenact the rape, this asshole trying to keep her panties as a souvenir, the corruption, the victim shaming. It was just tough to read.
I also applaud Itō for the data at the end of the book. I think people think of rape and sexual violence and they’re like “ah, it happens,” but really in most countries is 1 in 4 or 6 women who have experienced (and reported!!!!!) sexual violence. Emphasis on the word ‘reported.’ Becausee when you report it, it’s not just that, it’s th victim shaming, that ‘ah you were wearing this,’ or the ‘you got drunk,’ or ‘you were alone.’ And also the data she included about 70% of women who become immobil or freeze when they realize what’s happening to them was just really interesting.
I don’t know. I’ll end it here. I thought a few days away from thinking about it would calm me down, beeep, I was wrong. It makes me sick.
A few bits that I highlighted:
“A man touched me.”
I didn’t know how to talk about it, so that was all I said. My mother put a towel around me and told me to rest.
“It’s because you’re wearing such a cute bikini.”
—
I saw these survey results on Asa-ichi, a morning show on NHK (the Japan Broadcasting Corporation):
“Things That Lead You to Think That the Other Person Consents to Sex”:
— Eating together, just the two of you - 11%
— Drinking together, just the two of you - 27%
— Getting in a car, just the two of you - 25%
— Revealing clothes - 23%
— Being drunk - 35%
There’s not a single item in this list that indicates sexual consent.
—
So there were settlements that didn’t include an apology? That was hard to imagine. With the money paid, the facts were sealed and not to be spoken of. And, I wondered, who had decided upon this amount of a million yen? The tremendous impact that this sexual assault would have on the rest of my life, the amount of time it would consume, the medical expenses—the total cost was incalculable. And above all, time and mental anguish were not things I could put a price on.
You cannot solve a problem that you can’t see.
In the Introduction for this book, Itō states this story is to highlight how unhelpful and confusing the system is for rape victims in Japan to seek medical help and bring their cases to the court. She emphasizes this books isn’t meant to scare people with the good old ‘this could happen to you’ or just to share what happened to her. And yet, I don’t know, I saw a lot of myself in her with some things and it just made me empathize and made me angry and frustrated. This isn’t what the book is about, but I did appreciate knowing bits about her such as how she healed herself a bit after she started running, how she loves her little sister, and how she’s always desperate to move to a different country. I just could empathize a lot with it all, idk.
Anyways, I did appreciate getting to know her. Usually you see this when someone is murdered they humanize the victim, and it was nice that Itō got to humanize herself with her own words.
Moving on from this, I just don’t know how to say. How do you even review this book? Itō speaks about what led her to meet the piece of trash that assaulted her, what she remembers of her assault (and how she was potentially drugged), and what happened after - seeking help in Japan medically but also trying to bring this asshole to justice. How corrupt authorities called it off and even the court dismissed her case and she needed the media to bring her case back to where it had to be. And yet, this book ends with Itō still asking questions to the corrupt individuals that put social class over investigating a criminal case.
What horrified me here was, besides everything, is just, I don’t even know. There was so much wrong in here: people seeing she was unconscious when he dragged her around and doing nothing, the police not helping, the police asking her to reenact the rape, this asshole trying to keep her panties as a souvenir, the corruption, the victim shaming. It was just tough to read.
I also applaud Itō for the data at the end of the book. I think people think of rape and sexual violence and they’re like “ah, it happens,” but really in most countries is 1 in 4 or 6 women who have experienced (and reported!!!!!) sexual violence. Emphasis on the word ‘reported.’ Becausee when you report it, it’s not just that, it’s th victim shaming, that ‘ah you were wearing this,’ or the ‘you got drunk,’ or ‘you were alone.’ And also the data she included about 70% of women who become immobil or freeze when they realize what’s happening to them was just really interesting.
I don’t know. I’ll end it here. I thought a few days away from thinking about it would calm me down, beeep, I was wrong. It makes me sick.
A few bits that I highlighted:
“A man touched me.”
I didn’t know how to talk about it, so that was all I said. My mother put a towel around me and told me to rest.
“It’s because you’re wearing such a cute bikini.”
—
I saw these survey results on Asa-ichi, a morning show on NHK (the Japan Broadcasting Corporation):
“Things That Lead You to Think That the Other Person Consents to Sex”:
— Eating together, just the two of you - 11%
— Drinking together, just the two of you - 27%
— Getting in a car, just the two of you - 25%
— Revealing clothes - 23%
— Being drunk - 35%
There’s not a single item in this list that indicates sexual consent.
—
So there were settlements that didn’t include an apology? That was hard to imagine. With the money paid, the facts were sealed and not to be spoken of. And, I wondered, who had decided upon this amount of a million yen? The tremendous impact that this sexual assault would have on the rest of my life, the amount of time it would consume, the medical expenses—the total cost was incalculable. And above all, time and mental anguish were not things I could put a price on.
April 10, 2024
„Gwałt to zabójca duszy. Mimo to trwamy dalej, rany zaczynają się powoli goić, a my krok po kroku odzyskujemy swoje życie. Każdy ma w sobie taką siłę i własny sposób na uleczenie samego siebie. Dla mnie tym sposobem jest poszukiwanie prawdy i opowiadanie o niej innym.”
116 na 146 ujętych państw w spisie. Oto miejsce, które zajmuje Japonia w rankingu równości płci w 2022.
Autorka „Czarnej skrzynki” zdobywając się na odwagę, by w rzetelny, ale jednocześnie ostry jak brzytwa, sposób opowiedzieć historię molestowania seksualnego, którego doświadczyła, udowadnia nam dobitnie, jak boleśnie prawdziwa jest powyższa statystyka. To pierwsza pozycja non-fiction wydawnictwa Tajfuny i jeśli dalej będą dobierać tak zaangażowane społecznie książki, to bez wahania będzie warto czytać każdą.
Shiori przeprowadza nas krok po kroku po tej okropnej nocy, podczas której osoba, którą znała „zabiła jej duszę”. Nie jest to łatwa lektura, myślę, że warto o tym wspomnieć, jeśli chciałyby za tę książkę chwytać osoby, które mają za sobą doświadczenie podobnej traumy. Ito jako profesjonalna dziennikarka nie sili się jednak na żadne chwyty językowe, ale językiem stricte obiektywnym opisuje co ją spotkała, sama wyrusza na wieloletnie śledztwo w swojej sprawie oraz to, co moim zdaniem najważniejsze, obnaża nieudolność i niesprawiedliwość japońskiego systemu sprawiedliwości, który nie skazuje winnych, a rani ofiary.
Nie wiem jak Wy podczas lektury, ale ja czułam potrzebę znaleźć w Internecie i posłuchać głosu samej Shiori i zobaczyć jej, bo byłam pewna, że zobaczę w niej niezłomność. Nie pomyliłam się. Sama Ito trafiła w 2020 na listę 100 najbardziej wpływowych osób TIME’a i jej głos wciąż nie milknie. Nie mogłam otrząsnąć się z podziwu wobec jej osoby. Kobieta, która zrobiła w swoim życiu wszystko, pracowała w 3 miejscach jednocześnie, byleby utrzymać siebie samą na wymarzonych studiach, by zostać dziennikarką. Profesja i marzenie, które niemal zostały sbeszczeszczone przez mężczyznę wyższego rangą w pracowniczej hierarchii.
Nie sposób ponownie nie zwrócić uwagi na posłowie Karoliny Bednarz, która jak zawsze nadaje szerszy kontekst i uzupełnia wiedzę czytelnika o ważne dane i przemyślenia po lekturze.
Polska zajmuje 76 miejsce, spadła o 37 miejsc w ciągu dwóch lat. To nie jest jedyny z powodów, dla których wciąż powinniśmy czytać takie książki i opowiadać dalej tak wstrząsające historie jak Shiori Ito.
tłum. K.Bednarz i D.Błażyca
116 na 146 ujętych państw w spisie. Oto miejsce, które zajmuje Japonia w rankingu równości płci w 2022.
Autorka „Czarnej skrzynki” zdobywając się na odwagę, by w rzetelny, ale jednocześnie ostry jak brzytwa, sposób opowiedzieć historię molestowania seksualnego, którego doświadczyła, udowadnia nam dobitnie, jak boleśnie prawdziwa jest powyższa statystyka. To pierwsza pozycja non-fiction wydawnictwa Tajfuny i jeśli dalej będą dobierać tak zaangażowane społecznie książki, to bez wahania będzie warto czytać każdą.
Shiori przeprowadza nas krok po kroku po tej okropnej nocy, podczas której osoba, którą znała „zabiła jej duszę”. Nie jest to łatwa lektura, myślę, że warto o tym wspomnieć, jeśli chciałyby za tę książkę chwytać osoby, które mają za sobą doświadczenie podobnej traumy. Ito jako profesjonalna dziennikarka nie sili się jednak na żadne chwyty językowe, ale językiem stricte obiektywnym opisuje co ją spotkała, sama wyrusza na wieloletnie śledztwo w swojej sprawie oraz to, co moim zdaniem najważniejsze, obnaża nieudolność i niesprawiedliwość japońskiego systemu sprawiedliwości, który nie skazuje winnych, a rani ofiary.
Nie wiem jak Wy podczas lektury, ale ja czułam potrzebę znaleźć w Internecie i posłuchać głosu samej Shiori i zobaczyć jej, bo byłam pewna, że zobaczę w niej niezłomność. Nie pomyliłam się. Sama Ito trafiła w 2020 na listę 100 najbardziej wpływowych osób TIME’a i jej głos wciąż nie milknie. Nie mogłam otrząsnąć się z podziwu wobec jej osoby. Kobieta, która zrobiła w swoim życiu wszystko, pracowała w 3 miejscach jednocześnie, byleby utrzymać siebie samą na wymarzonych studiach, by zostać dziennikarką. Profesja i marzenie, które niemal zostały sbeszczeszczone przez mężczyznę wyższego rangą w pracowniczej hierarchii.
Nie sposób ponownie nie zwrócić uwagi na posłowie Karoliny Bednarz, która jak zawsze nadaje szerszy kontekst i uzupełnia wiedzę czytelnika o ważne dane i przemyślenia po lekturze.
Polska zajmuje 76 miejsce, spadła o 37 miejsc w ciągu dwóch lat. To nie jest jedyny z powodów, dla których wciąż powinniśmy czytać takie książki i opowiadać dalej tak wstrząsające historie jak Shiori Ito.
tłum. K.Bednarz i D.Błażyca
December 31, 2021
Using a life-size doll, in a judo hall filled with only male investigators, I was forced to reenact the circumstances of my rape.
“Lie down there, please,” I was told, as I lay face up on the blue mat, surrounded by men. One of the investigators placed a large doll on top of me.
“Like this?” “Or was it more like this?” they asked as they rearranged the doll.
One myth I've often heard is that Japan has lots of manga and video games filled with violent rape yet the country has a minuscule amount of reported rape so this must prove that such works of pop culture don't inspire rape. An alternate view is that Japan has so few reported rapes because it's not safe to do so.
The quote at the top happened to Shiori Ito after she reported being raped by a journalist named Noriyuki Yamaguchi. She soon learned that even though there was video of her being carried unconscious from a taxi to the rapist's hotel room, this is not good enough to even arrest someone in Japan for rape. You see, she could've woken up and given consent so it's he said/she said.
She calls a sexual assault support line but learns that it's worthless; they won't give her any advice or resources over the phone and she's too shell-shocked to travel all the way to their office. She tries to get the police to collect evidence because the rapist seemed to record the rape on his computer, but they didn't want to. It's just one thing after another.
In short, rape is basically legal in Japan because the rapist can always claim consent. The author finds a few cases of rape convictions to show how over-the-top they have to be to get a conviction. In one, a man drugged seven women at one time and raped them all. The court said it's doubtful all seven could've consented — one or two maybe, but not seven. In another, a couple drugged and raped a woman and filmed it to sell under the counter to special customers at their video store so only because there was graphic video that no one could've consented to was there a conviction.
One other thing I admired: The author makes a point of smiling, despite being told that "victims don't smile."
This book moves the needle forward for positive change. It's a quick, infuriating read.
“Lie down there, please,” I was told, as I lay face up on the blue mat, surrounded by men. One of the investigators placed a large doll on top of me.
“Like this?” “Or was it more like this?” they asked as they rearranged the doll.
One myth I've often heard is that Japan has lots of manga and video games filled with violent rape yet the country has a minuscule amount of reported rape so this must prove that such works of pop culture don't inspire rape. An alternate view is that Japan has so few reported rapes because it's not safe to do so.
The quote at the top happened to Shiori Ito after she reported being raped by a journalist named Noriyuki Yamaguchi. She soon learned that even though there was video of her being carried unconscious from a taxi to the rapist's hotel room, this is not good enough to even arrest someone in Japan for rape. You see, she could've woken up and given consent so it's he said/she said.
She calls a sexual assault support line but learns that it's worthless; they won't give her any advice or resources over the phone and she's too shell-shocked to travel all the way to their office. She tries to get the police to collect evidence because the rapist seemed to record the rape on his computer, but they didn't want to. It's just one thing after another.
In short, rape is basically legal in Japan because the rapist can always claim consent. The author finds a few cases of rape convictions to show how over-the-top they have to be to get a conviction. In one, a man drugged seven women at one time and raped them all. The court said it's doubtful all seven could've consented — one or two maybe, but not seven. In another, a couple drugged and raped a woman and filmed it to sell under the counter to special customers at their video store so only because there was graphic video that no one could've consented to was there a conviction.
One other thing I admired: The author makes a point of smiling, despite being told that "victims don't smile."
This book moves the needle forward for positive change. It's a quick, infuriating read.
Read
March 29, 2024Książka z pewnością warta 5/5 i rekomendowania wszystkim. Niesamowicie ważna, jednak tak intymna i boleśnie osobista, że wystawienie jej oceny zdaje się absolutnej nieadekwatne. To po prostu trzeba przeczytać.
March 11, 2024
Rewelacyjna! Mimo ciężkości tematu (przemoc seksualna) nie mogłam się oderwać od czytania. Świetnie napisana. Genialnie przetłumaczona.
Polecam z całego serca!
Idealne rozpoczęcie serii non-fiction w Wydawnictwie Tajfuny.
Polecam z całego serca!
Idealne rozpoczęcie serii non-fiction w Wydawnictwie Tajfuny.
April 5, 2024
Absolutny must-read. Czytam dużo reportaży, ale ten zostanie ze mną jeszcze na długo.
May 30, 2019
Un essai très très difficile à lire puisque la majorité des pages portent sur son expérience personnelle face à une agression sexuelle dont elle a été victime alors qu'elle était inconsciente (drogue du viol), mais aussi absolument toutes les démarches possibles et imaginables qu'elle a entrepris pour tenter d'accuser son agresseur qui ont toutes été vaines au niveau des enquêtes judiciaires et policières (moins toutefois dans le milieu journaliste malgré des pressions de l'entourage du premier ministre japonais).
Il faut prendre des pauses parce qu'elle revient souvent sur des détails de son agression, la violence des témoignages qu'elle doit dire et répéter sans cesse et l'enquête qu'elle finie par elle-même mener puisque la police ne fait rien (des pressions de supérieurs ont étouffé le dossier). C'est aussi difficile parce qu'elle parle de sa famille, de ses ami·es, d'autres victimes de viol, des problèmes que ça a causé, de son SSPT, de sa perte de cheveux, des séjours à l'hôpital parfois qui ont aussi fait suite au viol.
Le mémoire/essai réussit toutefois à partir de son expérience pour montrer à quel point les agressions sexuelles ne sont pas prises au sérieux, bien recensés, ni ayant les ressources nécessaires pour les combattre (policière, judiciaire, hospitalière, journalistique, humaine, etc.) au Japon (dans la majorité des autres pays aussi). Elle parle de son combat personnel contre plusieurs institutions japonaises (dont elle est autrement très fière), mais à travers cette lutte, on voit comment elle dénonce l'organisation implicite de ces structures qui finissent pas défendre l'agresseur dans tous les cas sauf si le viol n'est pas situé dans une boîte noire (c'est à dire qu'il y a un·e autre témoin du viol) ou que la victime à moins de 13 ans. De nombreuses preuves à l'appui étayent son argumentation.
Ito Shiori étant une journaliste, le livre est aussi écrit comme une enquête sur elle-même ce qui montre définitivement à quel point le travail des médias japonais (en grande partie) n'a pas été fait, mais aussi la surabondance de preuves qui auraient dû mener à la condamnation du violeur qui n'est jamais arrivée malgré toutes les démarches (et je dis bien TOUTES) prises par Shiori pour tenter de connaître la vérité et de réformer les pratiques.
On ne peut qu'être admiratif de l'immense travail accomplie par l'autrice, non seulement pour l'enquête, les témoignages recueillis, l'accumulation de preuves, toutes les démarches entreprises, mais même, tout simplement, pour le travail émotionnel que ça lui a pris malgré l'absence de justice au final. Elle avait tout un système ligué (in-volontairement ou non) contre elle, mais elle s'est battue jusqu'à épuiser toutes ses ressources pour faire connaître l'histoire et exposer les failles du système. Pour une histoire qui la touche aussi personnellement que ça, c'est un investissement émotionnel absolument indescriptible et je ne peux que trop fortement souhaiter, comme l'autrice, que ça n'arrive à personne d'autre.
Je déconseille la lecture à toute personne qui ne peut pas vraiment lire de témoignage très détaillé de viol, absolument tous les détails y sont présents. À lire par tous les allié·es cependant, c'est un ouvrage pertinent pour soutenir les personnes agressées dans leurs démarches et comprendre ce qui peut arriver suite au viol et les besoins qui peuvent être nécessités. Le récit se passe au Japon, mais l'autrice démontre très bien qu'aux États-Unis et dans plein d'autres pays de telles violences peuvent se produire, il ne faut donc pas prendre ce livre comme un témoignage tout particulièrement japonais (si ce n'est la structure et les lois japonaises qui diffèrent), mais bien comme un ouvrage universel sur la question du viol.
Je tiens aussi à souligner l'intérêt grandissant que j'ai pour les éditions Picquier qui ne m'ont jamais encore offert de lectures décevantes et dont je trouve toujours les traductions (du japonais) d'une grande qualité.
Il faut prendre des pauses parce qu'elle revient souvent sur des détails de son agression, la violence des témoignages qu'elle doit dire et répéter sans cesse et l'enquête qu'elle finie par elle-même mener puisque la police ne fait rien (des pressions de supérieurs ont étouffé le dossier). C'est aussi difficile parce qu'elle parle de sa famille, de ses ami·es, d'autres victimes de viol, des problèmes que ça a causé, de son SSPT, de sa perte de cheveux, des séjours à l'hôpital parfois qui ont aussi fait suite au viol.
Le mémoire/essai réussit toutefois à partir de son expérience pour montrer à quel point les agressions sexuelles ne sont pas prises au sérieux, bien recensés, ni ayant les ressources nécessaires pour les combattre (policière, judiciaire, hospitalière, journalistique, humaine, etc.) au Japon (dans la majorité des autres pays aussi). Elle parle de son combat personnel contre plusieurs institutions japonaises (dont elle est autrement très fière), mais à travers cette lutte, on voit comment elle dénonce l'organisation implicite de ces structures qui finissent pas défendre l'agresseur dans tous les cas sauf si le viol n'est pas situé dans une boîte noire (c'est à dire qu'il y a un·e autre témoin du viol) ou que la victime à moins de 13 ans. De nombreuses preuves à l'appui étayent son argumentation.
Ito Shiori étant une journaliste, le livre est aussi écrit comme une enquête sur elle-même ce qui montre définitivement à quel point le travail des médias japonais (en grande partie) n'a pas été fait, mais aussi la surabondance de preuves qui auraient dû mener à la condamnation du violeur qui n'est jamais arrivée malgré toutes les démarches (et je dis bien TOUTES) prises par Shiori pour tenter de connaître la vérité et de réformer les pratiques.
On ne peut qu'être admiratif de l'immense travail accomplie par l'autrice, non seulement pour l'enquête, les témoignages recueillis, l'accumulation de preuves, toutes les démarches entreprises, mais même, tout simplement, pour le travail émotionnel que ça lui a pris malgré l'absence de justice au final. Elle avait tout un système ligué (in-volontairement ou non) contre elle, mais elle s'est battue jusqu'à épuiser toutes ses ressources pour faire connaître l'histoire et exposer les failles du système. Pour une histoire qui la touche aussi personnellement que ça, c'est un investissement émotionnel absolument indescriptible et je ne peux que trop fortement souhaiter, comme l'autrice, que ça n'arrive à personne d'autre.
Je déconseille la lecture à toute personne qui ne peut pas vraiment lire de témoignage très détaillé de viol, absolument tous les détails y sont présents. À lire par tous les allié·es cependant, c'est un ouvrage pertinent pour soutenir les personnes agressées dans leurs démarches et comprendre ce qui peut arriver suite au viol et les besoins qui peuvent être nécessités. Le récit se passe au Japon, mais l'autrice démontre très bien qu'aux États-Unis et dans plein d'autres pays de telles violences peuvent se produire, il ne faut donc pas prendre ce livre comme un témoignage tout particulièrement japonais (si ce n'est la structure et les lois japonaises qui diffèrent), mais bien comme un ouvrage universel sur la question du viol.
Je tiens aussi à souligner l'intérêt grandissant que j'ai pour les éditions Picquier qui ne m'ont jamais encore offert de lectures décevantes et dont je trouve toujours les traductions (du japonais) d'une grande qualité.
February 26, 2021
Recensione di Giulia Colelli: x
Il 3 aprile 2015 Shiori Ito, giornalista freelance giapponese, incontra Yamaguchi Noriyuki, giornalista di punta della TBS di Washington, per discutere di una sua prossima assunzione e delle pratiche per un eventuale visto. Durante la cena, Ito perde i sensi, e si risveglia solo la mattina dopo, in una camera di albergo, e realizza che l’uomo sopra di lei che la sta violentando è proprio Yamaguchi.
Nonostante la confusione e il trauma fisico e psicologico subìto, Ito decide qualche giorno dopo di denunciare l’accaduto recandosi a una delle stazioni della Polizia Metropolitana di Tokyo. Gli agenti cercano di farla desistere, ma lei insiste nel portare avanti la denuncia, e vengono finalmente aperte le indagini. Vengono raccolte le prove e preparato un mandato di arresto, ma dai vertici della Polizia Metropolitana arriva un inspiegabile stop poche ore prima.
Yamaguchi, vicino all’ex-Primo ministro giapponese Abe del quale ha anche scritto una biografia di successo, non è mai stato arrestato o perseguito penalmente. Come è possibile che sia stato protetto? Come è possibile che un’indagine che sembrava ormai prossima alla soluzione sia stata interrotta così? In seguito al rifiuto del Pubblico ministero di fronte alla possibilità di riaprire il caso, Ito decide di esporsi e di organizzare una conferenza stampa per denunciare quello che le era successo e far sentire la propria voce.
Tutto questo è raccontato con lucidità e precisione da Shiori Ito stessa nel suo libro Black Box, edito in traduzione italiana da Inari Books a cura di Asuka Ozumi. Il titolo, che anche nell’originale mantiene l’uso delle parole inglesi, fa riferimento a uno dei termini che la giornalista si è sentita ripetere più volte da investigatori e avvocati: i fatti accaduti quella notte sono accaduti in una stanza chiusa, in una “scatola nera” dove nessuno sa cosa sia successo davvero a parte lei e Yamaguchi.
Black Box, vincitore nel 2018 del premio Best Journalism Award e insignito dalla Free Press Association of Japan, è un libro forte, che affronta una delle esperienze più traumatiche che una persona può vivere: lo stupro. Non solo, Black Box ci ricorda che il trauma legato a una violenza non conosce fine, ma è qualcosa che ci si porta dentro per lungo tempo. È una ferita difficile da rimarginare e che viene riaperta continuamente non solo dai ricordi della vittima, ma anche da una società che non è disposta ad aiutare chi ha subito un crimine così efferato.
Clicca qui per leggere la recensione completa!
Il 3 aprile 2015 Shiori Ito, giornalista freelance giapponese, incontra Yamaguchi Noriyuki, giornalista di punta della TBS di Washington, per discutere di una sua prossima assunzione e delle pratiche per un eventuale visto. Durante la cena, Ito perde i sensi, e si risveglia solo la mattina dopo, in una camera di albergo, e realizza che l’uomo sopra di lei che la sta violentando è proprio Yamaguchi.
Nonostante la confusione e il trauma fisico e psicologico subìto, Ito decide qualche giorno dopo di denunciare l’accaduto recandosi a una delle stazioni della Polizia Metropolitana di Tokyo. Gli agenti cercano di farla desistere, ma lei insiste nel portare avanti la denuncia, e vengono finalmente aperte le indagini. Vengono raccolte le prove e preparato un mandato di arresto, ma dai vertici della Polizia Metropolitana arriva un inspiegabile stop poche ore prima.
Yamaguchi, vicino all’ex-Primo ministro giapponese Abe del quale ha anche scritto una biografia di successo, non è mai stato arrestato o perseguito penalmente. Come è possibile che sia stato protetto? Come è possibile che un’indagine che sembrava ormai prossima alla soluzione sia stata interrotta così? In seguito al rifiuto del Pubblico ministero di fronte alla possibilità di riaprire il caso, Ito decide di esporsi e di organizzare una conferenza stampa per denunciare quello che le era successo e far sentire la propria voce.
Tutto questo è raccontato con lucidità e precisione da Shiori Ito stessa nel suo libro Black Box, edito in traduzione italiana da Inari Books a cura di Asuka Ozumi. Il titolo, che anche nell’originale mantiene l’uso delle parole inglesi, fa riferimento a uno dei termini che la giornalista si è sentita ripetere più volte da investigatori e avvocati: i fatti accaduti quella notte sono accaduti in una stanza chiusa, in una “scatola nera” dove nessuno sa cosa sia successo davvero a parte lei e Yamaguchi.
Black Box, vincitore nel 2018 del premio Best Journalism Award e insignito dalla Free Press Association of Japan, è un libro forte, che affronta una delle esperienze più traumatiche che una persona può vivere: lo stupro. Non solo, Black Box ci ricorda che il trauma legato a una violenza non conosce fine, ma è qualcosa che ci si porta dentro per lungo tempo. È una ferita difficile da rimarginare e che viene riaperta continuamente non solo dai ricordi della vittima, ma anche da una società che non è disposta ad aiutare chi ha subito un crimine così efferato.
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