Cast

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Introduction

May 2024.
In front of Japan’s National Diet Building, survivors of domestic violence and child abuse gathered in the pouring rain.
They stood together to oppose the introduction of joint parental authority after divorce.

When the Civil Code amendment was proposed—including joint parental authority—survivors and their supporters voiced grave concerns. More than 240,000 signatures were submitted in opposition.

Yet on May 17, 2024, the amendment was passed and enacted.

The positive image of the word “joint,” amplified by one-sided media coverage, has drowned out the voices of those who live in constant fear of further abuse.

Remaining silent would mean abandoning the most vulnerable: victims and children whose futures are at stake. Society’s misunderstanding and indifference only push them further into isolation.

For the first time in Japan, a film has been professionally produced in close collaboration with DV survivors and thrivers. The project was funded by supporters, with survivors contributing to the story’s formation and details, ensuring their realities are authentically represented.

This film was created from the conviction that more people must understand this issue and reflect on it together.
It carries the hope of reducing future cases of DV and abuse, and of building a society where individual dignity is protected.

Story

Violence that unfolds quietly inside the home.
Abuse kept invisible to outsiders.
Control that continues even after divorce.

Like an invisible chain, it binds parents and children.
Can this chain be broken?

This film dramatizes a future under joint parental authority after divorce, while also confronting reality: brutal incidents that have already occurred, the voices of survivors, and insights from lawyers.

Through these, it reveals the serious flaws of joint parental authority.

 

Independent Screenings

Information will be released once preparations are complete.

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Voices of Support

“From this film we learn that what corners victims is not loud yelling or physical blows, but control exerted through invisible violence.
If children suffer deeply or begin blaming the parent they live with, then joint parental authority risks driving both parent and child further into danger.
I sincerely hope many citizens will watch this film and begin the conversations that are urgently needed.”
Tamie Kaino
Professor Emerita, Ochanomizu University

“I have deep respect and gratitude for everyone who created this work.
The film powerfully depicts the typical patterns of abuse—the tense atmosphere, the fear of stepping on a landmine with every word. Survivors will inevitably experience flashbacks.

Even after divorce, rights such as joint parental authority are used as a weapon: unreasonable demands, threatening and coercive communication, repeated messages demanding a response. Parents are forced into a bind between the abuser and their own child, even blamed by their children. The overwhelming suffering, sadness, and helplessness here were particularly painful. The final powerless words, ‘So there’s no escape, is that it?’—that moment was devastating.”

Ei Nakagawa
Representative, GADHA
(Self-help Group for Perpetrators of Moral Harassment and DV)

“Watching Mayday Rain, I repeatedly found it hard to breathe—my heart racing in fear. These were physical reactions to fear, memories resurfacing. The terror of control may only be understood by those who have lived it.

Because it often does not involve physical violence, society dismisses it as interpretation. That is why I, too, never sought help. Women in particular fall into the trap of thinking, ‘It’s my fault. If I manage better, things will be fine.’

But intimidation is not just financial control within marriage. It appears in workplaces, in non-romantic relationships, whenever men assert power through fear. This behavior, tolerated in society, undermines human dignity.

Within such a system, joint parental authority denies children the right to self-determination. Watching this film renewed my conviction that it must be avoided.

Even the word ‘parental authority’ feels misplaced. While it includes duties, the right of self-determination should always belong to the child. If reframed as ‘children’s rights’ or ‘duty of care,’ it would prevent authority from being claimed by those who seek only power.”

Yuko Tanaka
Professor Emeritus, Hosei University / Former University President
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