Lost Judgment

December 2021, Tokyo district court. Akihiro Ehara stands accused of groping a woman on a crowded train. A bystander’s video footage of his attempt to flee the scene and subsequent apprehension is all over the news, and public outcry demands a maximum sentence.

“Three days ago, a dead body was found in an abandoned building in Yokohama. Have you identified it yet?” he proclaims as confusion cuts through the court room.

His defense lawyer, Saori Shirosaki, has no doubt that crucial details of t...