This important film focuses on allegations by Shiori Ito to tell the wider but hidden story of violence towards Japanese women
J apan’s Secret Shame is an extremely difficult documentary to watch. It is harrowing, frustrating and distressing. It is also an incredibly important film, brave and necessary, handled with care and quiet fury by the producer and director, Erica Jenkin. It tells a big story about violence towards women, about structural inequality and discrimination, by focusing on a smaller, more individual one.
In 2015, Shiori Ito came forward with a public allegation of rape against a prominent and well-connected journalist, Noriyuki Yamaguchi, who denies the charge. Over the course of almost three years, we see Ito’s story unfolding, in awful ways and also in inspirational ones. At times, it is maddening beyond belief. Ultimately, it leaves the viewer with a sense of urgent upheaval, and perhaps, optimistically, the potential beginnings of a significant cultural shift.
In Japan, we are told, people rarely come forward with sexual assault allegations. At the time filming began, the country’s rape laws had remained the same since 1907; there was a shorter minimum sentence for rape than there was for theft. Statistics holding Japan to a global standard would suggest that, culturally and structurally, sexual violence against women is not treated as a serious problem. For example, according to the documentary, there are 510 rapes reported for every million people in the UK, but in Japan that number falls to 10. Some might suggest that this means Japan is a safe country for women. Most of the contributors to this film, however, believe it is so taboo to discuss it that victims rarely even come forward.
