The Oscars are over, and Shiori It0’s Black Box Diaries didn’t win. Now, the real question is: will this story disappear in Japan?

For weeks, we’ve been talking about this exact possibility in the comments on Japan Today and the Japan Today Spotlight video we did. When a Japanese film or filmmaker wins international recognition, they are often celebrated at home. But when they don’t? Silence.

Shiori Ito’s fight for justice has always been about more than just her own case. Black Box Diaries exposes deep issues within Japan’s justice system and the country’s approach to press freedom. The film’s struggle for visibility in Japan was already an uphill battle. Now that it hasn’t won an Oscar, it’s even easier for those in power to ignore it completely.

Regardless of awards, the issues raised in Black Box Diaries are still urgent. Will Japan acknowledge this film? Will theaters now take the risk of screening it? Or will it be quietly forgotten (as I suspect it will).

If you care about this story, keep talking about it. Watch the documentary if you can. Support investigative journalism. Because if we stop paying attention — those who want this story buried will get exactly what they want.

Watch my in-depth take on Japan Today Spotlight:

Why won’t Japan screen Shiori Ito’s “Black Box Diaries”?

Do you know where folks in Japan can actually see Black Box Diaries? Let me know!