It was an ordinary weekend night, and Runa, a sophomore in high school, met up with a few friends as usual and chatted late into the night at a small bar in the city. Towards midnight, a few friends said goodbye, and Ryu Na walked along the path home alone.
The cool breeze of summer blows, and the street lamps cast dappled light and shadow. Runa was in a good mood and walked home softly humming a song. She couldn't help but raise the corners of her mouth when she thought about the funny things she had talked about with her friends at night.
At this moment, a strange man came over to talk to Runa, who was a little wary, smiled and shook his head and walked away quickly. She quickened her pace, but suddenly she felt someone grab her from behind, cover her mouth, and drag her down the alley.
Runa was terrified and struggled hard, but there was no escape.
Several men fell into a panic of despair.
Her world is turned upside down at this moment, the entire trajectory of her life has deviated from the original loop, and she is full of confusion and despair about her life.
It was supposed to be a quiet night, and a girl went home as usual to welcome the arrival of a new day. But fate gave her a sudden nightmare, and her life was ruined from then on.
Runa did not choose to report to the police, because society in Japan has always taken a conservative and obscure attitude towards such sexual crimes. Japanese women carry a heavy historical burden and are required to remain chaste at all times and endure with tears even if they are hurt.
In male-dominated values, a woman's chastity is paramount, and the slightest misstep is considered shameful.
Runa was also molested by her own grandfather when she was a child, but being forced to endure did not free her. When she told her parents the secret and asked for help, they not only retreated, but also scolded their daughter for talking nonsense, disgrace the family.
This oppressive environment made it difficult for Runa to speak out about the matter, and she could only hide this humiliation and shadow in her heart.
Japanese women, who grow up in such soils, have no outlet for their suffering, and are forced to tolerate aggression without understanding and support. Runa could only bear all this in silence in despair, and even doubted that he was the one who was guilty.
But in fact, victims should not be ashamed to speak, but should bravely face the truth and let the perpetrators receive the punishment they deserve.
We need to reflect on whether such historical constraints should continue to exist. As a member of society, women deserve equal status and a voice. Their pain needs to be heard, and their courage needs to be celebrated.
Only in this way can the shadows of the past be dispelled and we can move towards a more equal and inclusive future.
Runa's friend Sakurako took the initiative to lend a helping hand and did not hesitate to take the risk to help Runa call the police. A female journalist, Kie, is also involved in the investigation of the rape case, hoping to use the details provided by Runa to identify the suspect.
But when they gradually discovered that the suspect was most likely a U.S. military stationed in Japan, the police were helpless.
This is a question that has been left over from Japan's history for many years. Since the end of World War II, the U.S. military has been stationed in Japan and has enjoyed privileges, and the Japanese police have no authority to arrest and try them.
U.S. military bases act like an umbrella for criminals, allowing them to infringe on the local population with impunity. Taking Okinawa as an example, the US military is stationed here, and various crimes continue to occur, but the Okinawans can only swallow their anger and cannot hold them accountable.
The Japanese Government has long been under the influence of the United States and is unable to take resolute measures against the US military stationed in Japan, so it can only allow the US military to trample on Japan's sovereignty. The unfettered privileges of the US military have seriously eroded the self-esteem of the Japanese.
Although Okinawan residents have protested and demonstrated many times, the "inequality" between Japan and the United States is still difficult to break.
We can no longer tolerate the privileges of the US military. The crimes they have committed on Japanese soil must be judged and punished justly. This is not only about the rights and interests of the victims, but also about the dignity of a sovereign State.
It is hoped that the Japanese Government will strive to get rid of the control of the US military and restore its proper independence and self-determination.
Sakurako is of mixed Japanese and American descent, and has lived on the margins of mainstream society since she was a child, suffering from discrimination and isolation. It is difficult for a mixed-race group like her to gain a sense of identity and belonging in Japanese society.
Even if you grow up in Okinawa and speak fluent Japanese, you can't change the status quo of being an "outsider".
On the surface, it looks like an ordinary Japanese woman's Qie, but her father is actually a U.S. military stationed in Japan. Although she is no different from the locals in appearance and lifestyle, she also lives with a sense of estrangement in her bones.
It can be seen that women, Okinawan islanders, and mixed-race groups are all struggling with their own predicaments and pains. They become "marginalized" in this society, living in the fence set up by others, depriving themselves of their freedom and dignity.
The eyes and attitudes of mainstream society keep them out of the realm of normal life.
Through the fate of these "little people", the screenwriter reflects the various shortcomings that still exist in contemporary Japan. On the surface, it is a modern civilized society, but deep down it hides inequality, prejudice and suffering.
We need more warmth and understanding to melt down these fences. Every individual deserves to be respected, and every group deserves equal status. Only by overcoming preconceptions can Japan become a truly inclusive country.
We must not forget and falsify history, and we need someone to stand up and tell and remember what happened. In particular, those tragic histories need to be remembered and reflected on by future generations.
Only by facing the past authentically can we draw the strength to move on.
This rape case that happened to Runa involves not only the pain of a girl, but also the oppression that women in Japan have endured for many years. It is also about the privileges and trampling of the US military for a long time, as well as the historical memory of the Japanese.
We must not turn a blind eye to the pain left behind.
In the face of all kinds of suffering, we also need to regain the courage to fight, and like women like Kie and Sakurako, we need to change the status quo with action. At the same time, we should also cherish those elders like Sakurako's grandmother and listen to their historical testimonies.
The problems revealed by this incident may be the meaning of this story. It allows us to re-examine the anomalies beneath the surface of modern society, and it also allows us to think about the present from a historical perspective.
We need to draw strength from the past in order to move on.