The story of journalist and activist Shiori Ito is one close to Akemi’s heart.
Journalist Shiori Ito was raped by a more senior member of her profession, as determined by the Civil Court in Tokyo on December 18, 2019. A symbolic figure for Women’s Rights in Japan, her public rape case is the first of its kind seen in the country and has started a long overdue conversation in the nation about attitudes towards women.
You can read more about Shiroi Ito’s story here: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/29/world/asia/japan-rape.html
Recently, Akemi and several volunteers, who are helping raise awareness about rape laws in Japan, appeared on a Japanese online news programme called News Op-Ed. They recorded a 2-part interview with Akemi and the volunteers (the videos hosted on YouTube now have English subtitles, so English-speakers can also understand them).
Meanwhile, the ongoing work to raise awareness about rape and sexual violence in Japan is led by this petition: https://www.change.org/rapelawjapan
Please consider signing it and helping Shiori’s cause.