The World Should Know the Truth about the Kamikaze!

Mr. IMAI Masayuki, director, actor, writer and script writer of
"THE WINDS OF GOD - KAMIKAZE -"

On September 11, 2001, two airliners crashed into the World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York. American newspapers reported this disaster as a "Kamikaze Attack." At the end of the Pacific War when Japan's defeat became certain, Japan's military headquarters created a new force in which young men would fly their bomb-laden planes into American warships ... this was the so-called "Kamikaze squad."

In part to counter the media distortions, a Japanese is speaking out loudly to emphasize that Kamikaze pilots and terrorists are fundamentally different. That person is Mr. IMAI Masayuki, who plays four roles as director, leading actor, writer and script writer of the film "THE WINDS OF GOD - KAMIKAZE" that will begin screening this August. "I can't stand it that Kamikaze squadron members are viewed in the same way as terrorists," he says. "Kamikaze squadron members never killed civilians."

Mr. Imai, a newly-fledged actor, had an opportunity to talk with survivors of a Kamikaze squad, and the discussion changed his life. The meeting took place when Mr. Imai was 25 years old. Before that he had believed that Kamikaze squadron members were brave enough to give their lives for the Emperor, or in a sense, were 'crazy' people. However, the facts are completely different.

"Although members of the Kamikaze squads respected the Emperor, they in fact were fighting primarily as a seawall to protect their mothers and families. I found out that the young men who became Kamikaze pilots were the same kinds of ordinary human beings as we are. I am sure that they did want to live, never to die," says Mr. Imai, who has had a strong wish to create a drama about these men whose lives were tossed about by the traumatic events of their time.

"At the time I wrote the drama, I was experiencing difficulties, failing in auditions and even if I was offered roles, they were boring, so I made up mind to make a stage drama by myself and play the lead role," recalls Mr. Imai. However, he had some bitter experiences. "Speaking of Kamikaze, nobody wanted to take part in it. People said "you are right wing!" or "How stupid you are!" and all of my seniors, juniors and friends refused to join. As a result, I was the only experienced actor who performed on the stage and the rest of my drama partners were those who were acting on stage for the first time, including part-timers and a woman who became my wife."

In order to soften the rejection of the players, he wrote the script in a comedy style. The first performance was staged in 1988, with five performances over three days. Sadly there were only eight people in the audience who saw the first performance. However, due to word of mouth publicity from those who saw the performance, all the tickets for the closing day shows completely sold out. Then they continued their performances in various local centers and also performed overseas. In 1998, the "New York Times," known for its scathing criticisms, gave the performance high praise in a theater review column. And in the autumn of 1999, the cast at last had an opportunity to hold what became a long-running Broadway performance.

Only two thousand yen was left
When performing overseas, the cast used English. "As America is the home of dramas, I was afraid that it would be an excuse to perform in Japanese," Mr. Imai said. "Our English was criticised as it was very bad, but we could see that people understood our feelings even if our English was poor." In this latest film, all the actors use English. "Japanese are used to reading subtitles, while in America they don't have to get used to doing so." The actors and actresses all went through difficult and intensive English training to learn their lines and viewers will be able to see their improvement in the movie.

The play was also filmed in Japanese in 1995. The story revolves around an unpopular pair of comedians who have an accident, and when they regain consciousness they find they are part of a Kamikaze squad. In the English version, the leading characters were switched to German-American and Japanese-American comedians. "I badly wanted to film Ground Zero where American psyche was wounded" Mr. Imai said. "There were so many restrictions on shooting, but I heard that this is the first film that shows Ground Zero in the world." said Mr. Imai.

The two leading characters were greatly shocked to discover the gap between the extreme wartime situation and the present day, and also between different cultures in America and Japan. It became clear to them that Japan at that time was extreme when looked back upon from the present, but on the other hand, the behavior of the main characters in the movie appeared strange to Japanese at that time. This contrast is portrayed very well in the movie.

To the question, "what was the hardest aspect of producing this movie?" Mr. Imai immediately answered "Money." "It cost more than 200 million yen, and it was difficult to find sponsors. We used an investment system. Out of 1,000 people that we asked for sponsorship, only a few agreed. On the other hand, our staff were lacking in management skills, the production expenses were getting higher and higher and reached an amount that was double the initial estimates. It was indeed a tough time. I thought I was cursed!"

"Now, I can confess with a smile that the company once had only 2,000 yen, therefore, I was really glad to receive 100,000 yen when I was asked for my autograph by a man who looked like a yakuza at a bar. I never, ever want to have this experience again." However, even though cash flow was tight, Mr. Imai did not cut expenses for the production. He borrowed a real Zero fighter for filming. "It is unbelievable that I made it. Without the cooperation of many people, it would not have been possible. It's a miracle."

Mr. Imai says "it was the war, not the Kamikaze squads, that was crazy." This movie is urging people around the world to feel pity for these ordinary men whose lives were tossed about by the craziness of the time. Mr. Imai's intention has something in common with Charlie CHAPLIN who produced the masterpiece "The Great Dictator."

The movie will be shown throughout Japan from late August. The Japan tour of the stage performance will start from August 11.

www.ceres.dti.ne.jp/~elle-co/

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