Li Ying, director of ‘Yasukuni,’ a documentary that takes a critical look at the shrine in Tokyo that honors Japan’s war dead, has told the press that he suspects political meddling is behind the Yasukuni sword smith Naoji Kariya’s reported desire to have scenes removed from the film:

In a news conference Thursday, director Li Ying said the 90-year-old sword smith in the documentary had accepted how he appeared in the film and even expressed hope for the documentary’s success.

Li said he showed the documentary to the sword smith, the last maker of Yasukuni swords, and his wife in spring last year. Li said he also explained to the sword smith the significance of the movie and the controversy surrounding Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Class-A war criminals along with the nation’s war dead and is viewed among other Asian countries as a symbol of Japan’s aggression before and during World War II.

“The deletion of the master’s scenes will cripple this movie, and I wonder what the lawmaker told him and if (a Diet member) is allowed to use his or her authority to change a character’s mind,” the director said.
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In an interview Thursday with The Asahi Shimbun, the sword smith and his 83-year-old wife, who live in Kochi Prefecture, said they received a written request from Li in 2005 to use him in the documentary.

The man said he allowed Li to film him while he was producing the last Yasukuni sword.

After the film was completed, Li visited the man’s residence to show him the movie, but the man said he asked Li to remove his footage and name because they were used “in manners far from” what he thought the director had intended.

The sword smith said he was surprised to see his scenes mixed with highly charged political images, including former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s visits to the shrine in Tokyo and the protests against those pilgrimages.

The sword smith acknowledged that he was contacted by lawmaker Arimura in late March and Wednesday because she wanted to hear his opinion on the documentary. He said he told Arimura that the movie is “far from his intention” and that he wants his appearance and name removed.

“I thought the film was aimed at showing future generations the traditional techniques and artistic value of Yasukuni swords, and I never expected it to be used in a direct connection with the Yasukuni controversy,” the sword smith said.

Negative publicity has caused several Tokyo theaters to cancel previously scheduled screenings of the film. However, 21 cinemas around the country are still planning to show the film in May (assuming that the footage of Kariya remains in the film).

Update: This video on YouTube contains an interview with the sword smith. About 7 minutes into the clip, he is asked to comment on the documentary. He reads a prepared statement similar to what he told the Asahi Shinbun. Other videos in the same series include an interview with Tom Kishida, author of The Yasukuni Swords: Rare Weapons of Japan, who also claims the makers of ‘Yasukuni’ told him they were making a non-political film about sword making when obtaining his consent to an interview.