Rina Gonoi

Rina Gonoi from Higashimatsushima, Miyagi Prefecture[3] started judo at the age of four and trained under her brother. She natured the ambition of competing at Olympics as a judo player. In 2011, at the age of 11, Gonoi and her family were displaced by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.[2] Gonoi for the first time encountered humanitarian operation of the JSDF officers smartly dressed and helping displaced people prepare makeshift bathing booth, served them warm water, food and other necessities.[4] Gonoi specially admired the female officers and developed interest in joining the JSDF so that one day she could also help people in trouble.

Gonoi then laid out her plan to achieve her dreams of playing judo at Olympics and serving in the JSDF. In 2020, she joined the JSDF where she planned to use its sports facilities to train in judo and compete at Olympics. Once in the JSDF, she experienced sexual assault on a daily basis.[5]

The first sexual harassment of her occurred at a JSDF station in Fukushima where male colleagues sexually commented on her body and breast size, kissed her on the cheek, groped or hugged her from back in the alleyway in front of many people without her consent. Sometimes male colleagues would tell her things like “give me a blow job”.[2] In August 2021, the worst happened during a training exercise when a group of three officers drinking in a tent summoned her to the tent.  The officers were discussing martial arts technique involving choking opponents and putting them to the ground. The officers then ordered Gonoi to try the choking method and in the process pinned her to bed, spread her legs open, pressed their crotches against her in a sexual simulation in front of dozens other colleagues who watched and laughed.[4]

Gonoi reported the sexual assault to the superior officers but her claims were promptly dismissed for lack of evidence as all male colleagues who witnessed the assault refused to testify. She then reported to a more superior JSDF authority but no action was taken as her claim was also dismissed for lack of evidence. This forced her out of the military in June 2022. Once out of the force, she approached TV stations but was also ignored and finally took the case to social media.

Her social media campaign forced the military authority to probe sexual assaults in the entire JSDF and her own case was reopened with a fresh investigation. It was found that Gonoi had suffered physical and verbal sexual harassment daily between autumn 2020 and August 2021. Japan Ministry of Defense through Ground Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff Yoshihide Yoshida tendered an apology to Gonoi saying “On behalf of the Ground Self-Defense Forces, I would like to express my deepest apologies to Ms. Gonoi, who has been suffering for a long time. I am very sorry.” Five servicemen involved in the act were dismissed and four others were punished.[6][7]

But not satisfied with military authority apology, Gonoi filed both criminal and civil cases against the government and the alleged sexual assault perpetrators. When the court case started in early 2023, one of the alleged perpetrators pleaded guilty while four others pleaded not guilty.[2]