Masayuki Suo's I Just Didn't Do It has been selected as Japan 's official entry to the Academy Awards' foreign-language film category, the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan announced Friday.

I Just Didn't Do It follows the struggles of a young man, played by Ryo Kase (Letters From Iwo Jima), who professes innocence after he's accused of groping a teenage girl on a train. Koji Yakusho stars as his defense lawyer. The story is based on years of legal system research by Suo. While films with sharp social commentary were common in the '60s and '70s, it's much rarer today.

Suo directed the film following a 10-year hiatus since Shall We Dance (1996), which swept the Japan Academy Awards and earned approximately $10m in the US. I Just Didn't Do It was released on January 20 and became a hit, earning $9.6m (Y1.1bn) and remaining in the top ten for six weeks.

I Just Didn't Do It was produced by Fuji TV's Hero and Bayside Shakedown hit maker Chihiro Kameyama with Altamira Pictures and Toho, which distributed the film in Japan. Pony Canyon handles the film's international sales.

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