essay by KARYN NISHIMURA-POUPÉE Sexual assault — insufficiently reported, taboo, poorly addressed, and still rarely punished — remains a serious issue in Japan. Victims often remain silent and, when they do dare speak out, face harsh criticism and a legal framework so restrictive that, until recently, rape has been extremely hard to prove. Despite the high-profile case of Shiori Ito¯, a journalist who accused a veteran television executive and biographer of former Prime Minister Shinzo¯ Abe of raping her, the #MeToo movement in Japan has not gained the same momentum as in France. To make matters worse, in 2018 and 2019, particularly shocking acquittals in cases of incest discouraged victims from embarking on lengthy judicial procedures with no assurance of success, even when the perpetrators had confessed to the crime and especially when they denied it. Out of desperation, many victims turn to civil courts. Shiori Ito¯, author of…