Smiling and self-assured in a black turtleneck sweater, loose brocade pants and glittering ankle boots, 35-year-old journalist Shiori Ito is no stranger to media interviews, but her expression was tense when addressed in Japanese during an event promoting her Oscar-nominated documentary, Black Box Diaries. "I prefer to respond in English," she said politely in the fluent English that she acquired during her studies in the US and now uses daily as a resident of London.

Since the press conference she gave eight years ago in Tokyo about her rape, living in Japan has become unbearable for her. For a survivor of rape or sexual assault to speak out is a historic event in Japan. Her bravery has earned her a stream of hatred and threats that have kept her away from her work, her family and her friends. "If I hadn't thought that I was able to live abroad, I wouldn't have taken on such a fight," she said.

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