Japanese journalist wins #MeToo case

JAPANESE journalist Shiori Ito sheds a tear as she speaks to reporters outside the Tokyo district court. AFP

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A Tokyo court Wednesday awarded 3.3 million yen ($30,000) in damages to journalist Shiori Ito, who accused a former TV reporter of rape in one of the most high-profile cases of the #MeToo movement in Japan.

The civil case made headlines in Japan and abroad, as it is rare for rape victims to report the crime to the police — according to a 2017 government survey, only four percent of women come forward.

Ito has become an outspoken symbol for #MeToo in Japan, where the movement against sexual harassment and abuse has struggled to take hold.

She had sought 11 million yen ($100,000) in compensation from Noriyuki Yamaguchi, a former TV reporter with close links to Shinzo Abe, alleging he raped her after inviting her to dinner to discuss a job opportunity in 2015.

Yamaguchi denies any wrongdoing and had filed a counter-suit against Ito, seeking 130 million yen in compensation.

“We won. The countersuit was turned down,” said Ito outside the court, holding up a banner that read “victory.”

Ahead of the ruling, Ito went before the cameras and said she had received widespread support.

“Since I woke up this morning, I have seen several messages from around the world that they are with me no matter how this turns out because my action has been meaningful,” she told reporters.

Ito spoke out in 2017, shortly before the #MeToo movement, and this was “viewed as odd, especially in Japan,” she said.

When the #MeToo movement emerged, “I thought ‘It wasn’t only me!’ and I believe there were others who thought so too,” she said.

“I saw women in Europe or the United States actively discussing it and standing up together but I didn’t think that happened in Japan at the same time,” she said.