Journalist in Japan's #MeToo movement sues cartoonist for defamation

Jun 09, 2020 | News On Japan

Jun 09, 2020 (Japan Today) - Shiori Ito, a journalist and symbol of Japan's #MeToo movement, sued cartoonist Toshiko Hasumi for damages on Monday for allegedly defaming her on Twitter.

In a suit filed with the Tokyo District Court, Ito is seeking 5.5 million yen in damages from Hasumi for five posts she made between June 2017 and last December that included an illustration of a woman who appears to be Ito, and 2.2 million yen from a creator and a doctor, both men, who allegedly spread the posts.

She is also asking for the posts to be taken down.

In a country where few sexual assault victims come forward, Ito, 31, has become a symbol of Japan's movement against sexual abuse after going public with a rape accusation against Noriyuki Yamaguchi, a 54-year-old former Washington bureau chief of Tokyo Broadcasting System Television Inc.

The district court last December ordered Yamaguchi, a biographer of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, to pay 3.3 million yen in damages to Ito, recognizing he "had sexual intercourse without the consent of Ito, who was in a state of intoxication and unconscious."

The civil court's decision, which Yamaguchi has appealed, contrasted sharply with the criminal proceedings that were launched after Ito filed a complaint with police when prosecutors decided not to indict Yamaguchi due to insufficient evidence.

Ito claims Hasumi's cartoon defamed her by suggesting she filed a false rape accusation and is pretending to be a rape victim.

Typhoon No. 29 Brings High Waves to Japan's Pacific Coast

Very strong Typhoon No. 29 (Koguma) was moving north near the Ogasawara Islands on the evening of October 11, bringing the risk of high waves and powerful swells along Japan's Pacific coast, particularly around the Izu Islands and coastal areas of the Kanto region, despite expectations of limited direct impacts from the storm. At 9 p.m. on October 11, the typhoon had a central atmospheric pressure of 950 hectopascals and maximum sustained winds of 45 meters per second near its center, maintaining its classification as a very strong typhoon. It was moving north at approximately 15 kilometers per hour.

Record-Strong El Nino Expected to Bring Warm Winter to Japan

Japan is expected to experience a warmer-than-normal winter as the El Nino phenomenon currently affecting the Pacific Ocean has reached its strongest level on record, with the Japan Meteorological Agency announcing on October 10th that unusually high sea surface temperatures are likely to persist through the coming winter months.

Otsu Festival Parades Elaborate Floats Following UNESCO Recognition

The Otsu Festival, one of Shiga Prefecture's three major traditional festivals, was held in Otsu City on October 11th, featuring a procession of 13 elaborately decorated floats carrying traditional mechanical puppets through the streets, following the festival's addition to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in December last year.

Cyberattacks Spread Across Japan

A series of cyberattacks has disrupted business operations and exposed millions of customer records across Japan, with a ransomware attack on a cloud service provider affecting 495 companies and local governments nationwide, while convenience store operator Lawson has disclosed a separate breach involving more than 2.15 million personal information records.

Japan's First 360-Degree Projection Mapping Opens in Osaka

Japan's first 360-degree projection mapping show will open at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts on October 10, transforming the historic building into an immersive world of light, music, and seasonal imagery, with organizers hoping the attraction will also help stimulate the city's nighttime economy.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Two Killed, Eight Injured in Osaka Danjiri Festival Accidents

Two men were killed and eight others injured in separate accidents involving traditional danjiri festival floats in Osaka Prefecture on October 10, including one incident in which a float overturned while making a sharp turn, crushing a participant beneath it.

Most Sightings of Fugitive Yoichi Hatta Reported in Kanto

Police in Oita Prefecture have revealed that the Kanto region accounts for the largest number of reported sightings of Yoichi Hatta, a fugitive wanted in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident in Beppu in 2022, with authorities preparing to distribute new wanted posters nationwide from November as the search enters its fifth year.