The timeline of Shiori Ito [2015] April 15-18
Ms. Ito's life after the incident, from April 15 to April 18. The sources are colored as followed:
Her book "Black Box"➡
Media coverage➡
Court documents➡
My comments will be indicated by 💡. actions of Ms. Ito by 🔴, and actions of Mr. Yamaguchi by 🔵.
Apr-15 (Wed)
Ms. Ito went to the Sheraton Miyako Hotel with the police detective A. The corridor on the second floor where Mr. Yamaguchi had stayed had no cameras, so they checked the footage of entrance and the lobby. They watched the video again at the Takanawa Police, Ms. Ito's best friend K came and saw it together.
She submitted her clothes she had worn that day for DNA testing, but they had already been washed. Only the bra had slipped to the side of the shelf where she had placed her clothes when she had taken them off, so it hadn't been washed. She hoped it'd work.
💡Mr. Yamaguchi's DNA was later found in her bra. However, according to Ms. Ito's claim, her nipple was bleeding. But no bloodstain was detected.
🔴Published an article on vagina art on trial (co-writing with Megumi Lim)
💡In the book, she says, she was too drained to go out to work so she took a break telling them her knee hurt around 6-7 April. But it seems that she had resumed work around the 15th.
Apr-16 (Thu)
Since Ms. Ito did not reply to the previous email, Mr. Yamaguchi sent her another email.
Did you get the email? Did you read it?
In our job, it is very important to respond promptly and properly to business communications. I've been devising a great deal to hire you, Shiori. It makes me think you might have lost your motivation because you haven't responded. If you lose your motivation, don't you think it's polite to let me know?
11:13am (22:13pm the previous day in EDT)
Apr-17 (Fri)
Another email was sent from Mr. Yamaguchi.
Ms. Ito,
There has been some progress in your employment. Please let me know at least if you are still interested or not.
02:00am (13:00pm the previous day in EDT)
Visting Matsusima Clinic
Ms. Ito received an examination at Matsushima Clinic, a women's clinic specialized for the sexual violence victims in Edogawa Ward, that was an hour and a half away from her house.
Her medical certificate for this date was leaked online. I write the contents of it here.
Background and details of the consultation to our hospital
The menstruation: March 19, 2015 - 5 days. Sexual damage occurred between April 3 and 4. The pain at that time was severe, so the patient wanted to have a gynecological examination, and was examined at this hospital on April 17, 2015. An internal examination revealed no trauma in the vagina from the vulva. At this time, the vaginal secretions were collected and tested for gonococcus, chlamydia, and bacterial culture. The results are normal, no pregnancy test was conducted because emergency contraception pills were taken on April 4, 2015, and bleeding was reported on April 9 for 3 days. The patient said that she suffered insomnia due to mental hardship. Etizolam was prescribed for 17 days.
💡If the gynecologist determines that no pregnancy test needs to be conducted because the bleeding was reported 6 days after emergency contraception pills had were taken, they should explain this to the patient. Ms. Ito, however, in subsequent emails, persistently pressured Mr. Yamaguchi, saying, "I'm worried if I'm pregnant, what will you do if I'm pregnant?" We will dive into that later.
Etizolam is an anti-anxiety drug, and is advised to "preferably avoid taking it while pregnant." The doctor's prescription of Etizolam is proof that they knew (and most probably told her that) Ms. Ito was not pregnant.
At night, she finally replies to Mr. Yamaguchi.
Mr. Yamaguchi,
I couldn't contact you because I've been in the hospital for several days. What do you mean by progress?
19:50pm (06:50am in EDT)
💡She lied that she couldn't reply because she had been hospitalized. Her excuse would be to hide that she was consulting the police already, but she could have simply said, "I was busy" instead of "hospitalized." She went to a clinic in the afternoon, and then later said, "I was hospitalized." I think it shows her characteristic of "exaggerating or distorting facts in her favor."
You were in the hospital? Are you ok?
Progress means that it looks like we are going to increase the number of branch office staff by one for the upcoming presidential election. We will consider what kind of person we'll hire from now on.
20:49pm (07:49am in EDT)
Apr-18 (Sat)
🔴Ms. Ito replied to his email in consultation with her friends to make him admit the fact and to pull out the words of apology before the damage report was accepted by the police.
*The highlighted purple part is omitted for her book.
Mr. Yamaguchi,
This time we met when you came back to Japan because you invited me to talk about the VISA which was the remaining issue because you wanted to hire me and make a contract as a new producer or as a freelancer, didn't we?
Then why did you take me to the hotel when I was unconscious and do it without protection, and then call me to say you would proceed with my visa procedures, and now you give me such an unclear answer? Considering this situation, it seems like you were waiting for your opportunity by bringing up some business stories.
I have already talked to my family about you and this employment, so I am at a loss for an answer every time they ask me about the situation.
Since then, my mind and body have been damaged, and I have to pay a huge amount of money for hospital expenses and examination fees, etc.
If the words you have said are true, please handle this with sincerity. Also, I think it's not nice that there was no apology even though I said I had been shocked in my previous email. And please bear the medical expenses too.
20:36pm (07:36am in EDT)
💡Although she says she tried to "pull out the words of apology," the purpose of this email is obviously to demand he would "handle this with sincerity," and his apology is a secondary issue. In the subsequent emails, she continues to ask for his "sincere response," but when Mr. Yamaguchi asks the specific meaning of it or what exactly she wants him to do, instead of answering it, she asks back, "What can you do?"
I didn't know exactly what she was asking for from Mr. Yamaguchi until I got to know all the exchanged emails. The answer was in the omitted section above. A "sincere response" means "give me money."
Ms. Ito,
I didn't know you were taking it that way.
You drank voluntarily and became intoxicated even though I didn't force you, and you threw up in the taxi and on my suit and luggage and became completely wasted. I couldn't leave you on the street, so I took you to where I stayed. You threw up in the hotel room and in the bathroom and I was the one who cleaned it all. You also vomited on my important official documents, so it took me a lot of time and money to reissue them.
Nothing would have happened if you had dined normally and returned home. Of course, I don't meet with someone whom I'm going to work with having such an intention from the beginning. Have I ever used my business authority to approach you or flirt with you? I never have, have I? If you simply think that you are a victim and I am an assailant, and you think that I had such a malicious intent in the first place, it's a great pity.
And what's the unclear response? I think highly of your enthusiasm and motivation and keep working on it. A time like this, it is very difficult to increase the number of staff of overseas branch offices.
If it costs you money because of that night, I'll think about it. But please look back at your own actions too. If you can communicate calmly, please email me again.
21:50pm (08:50am in EDT)
Mr. Yamaguchi,
I am writing this email because I would like to talk to you calmly.
If you say you took care of me, I would like to thank you for that. But I was also unconscious and you did it without protection, and I've been worried since then about what I'd do if I get pregnant.
What do you think about it, in case I get pregnant? I was thinking that I would work hard from now on, but now I'm living in fear that I won't be able to work if I am pregnant.
22:44pm (09:44am in EDT)
💡The emails referring to the possibility of pregnancy
After introducing his email above, she writes in her book as followed.
It was truly my unfeigned feeling. I was prescribed morning after pills several hours after the incident, but my menstruation was late significantly than expected. Emergency pills don't prevent pregnancy for 100 percent.
Although the day before the doctor at Matsushima Clinic diagnosed as "no pregnancy test was conducted because the bleeding was reported on April 9 for 3 days" (of course, it's not written in the book), she says it was true that "she was living in fear of getting pregnant." So why didn't you ask the doctor to perform a pregnancy test at Matsushima Clinic the day before? Moreover, what doctors don't mention about the possibility of pregnancy when a sexual victim comes to a specialized hospital and told them she had emergency pills?
At a press conference after the civil court ruling, she changed the claim and said, "I was told that bleeding after the emergency pill was a side effect at Matsushima Clinic, so I thought my period hadn't come yet. In addition, it was the police investigator at the time who asked me to search where Mr. Yamaguchi was. I hated it, but we talked and decided to bring up my pregnancy and ask him where he was. I asked him to come out and explain it on behalf of me If it would be a legal issue in the future."
👆Ms. Ito herself explains it in English...she doesn't look calm here.
Isn't it ridiculous for a gynecologist who specializes in sexual violence to say, "Bleeding after taking emergency pills is a side effect and it does not mean successful contraception" when they're writing the exact opposite thing on the medical certificate? In short, she's claiming the doctor at Matsushima Clinic entered incorrect information in the medical record, just like the doctor at Ihc Omotesando Clinic did. I wonder if there's such a coincidence.
Also, investigator A allegedly said he would come out and explain if it'd become a legal issue. It did become a legal issue. I hope Mr. A will testify in the next appeal trial.
Mr. Yamaguchi immediately replied.
When you entered my room that night, you threw up in two places in the room and ran into the bathroom. I cleaned the vomit that was thrown up in my suitcase and on my computer and put it in a plastic bag, wiped them with a wet towel, and went to the bathroom to see you and you were lying in the vomit that you had puked on the floor of the bathroom. I took you out of the puke, removed your blouse and slacks covered with your vomit, moved you to the room, and laid you down in bed. Then I went back to the bathroom and washed away the vomit that had been thrown up with the shower, and I washed the blouse that was covered mostly with vomit and hung it on a hanger because I thought you would be in trouble if you didn't have anything to wear the next morning. And when I returned to the room, you were already asleep and snoring. I couldn't stand the smell of vomit on your hair, so I slept in another bed.
Then you suddenly got up and went to the bathroom and came back to the bed where I was sleeping. You were talking normally, you said like "I drank too much." So it is completely different from the fact that I did it to you who was unconscious without your permission. I was a bit drunk too, then a nice lady like you came to my bed half-naked, and it happened. I think we both have our own reflection points, but I am not convinced at all why I should be criticized one-sidedly.
I don't think it's possible for you to get pregnant. However, I understand that you are worried, so I'm happy to do what I can. But in order to deal with the problem, you need to change the attitude of the one-sided victim mentality.
23:51pm (10:51am in EDT)
💡Unlike Ms. Ito's plan, Mr. Yamaguchi didn't reply, "I'm sorry. How much do you need?" He offered he would consider paying for her medical expenses, but she didn't proceed with that offer, it means that was not the answer she wanted.
For about a week till 24th when the next email was sent, it was weirdly silent. In the next post, we'll continue to see the email conversation between them.
You can click the link below to see the Japanese version of this post.
