While scouting locations in Japan, the chief production team narrowly escaped death. On March 5, 1966, producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, director Lewis Gilbert, cinematographer Freddie Young, and production designer Sir Ken Adam were booked to leave Japan on BOAC flight 911 departing Tokyo for Hong Kong and London. Two hours before their Boeing 707 flight departed, the team was invited to an unexpected ninja demonstration, and so missed their plane. Their flight took off as scheduled, and twenty-five minutes after take-off, the plane encountered severe turbulence and disintegrated over Mt. Fuji, killing all aboard.
The volcano set cost almost as much as Dr. No (1962)'s entire budget. It was so large, it could be seen from three miles away.
The henchman Bond fights in Osato's office was played by Samoan pro wrestler Peter Fanene Maivia, known by his ring name "The High Chief." Maivia also served as the film's fight choreographer, and was the grandfather of fellow wrestler Dwayne Johnson.
The relationship between Sir Sean Connery and the producers deteriorated to the point where he refused to act if they were on-set.
As this was anticipated to be Sir Sean Connery's last appearance as James Bond, publicity material released in advance of the movie announced Bond would be killed, married, and become Japanese. While these events were portrayed in this movie, they were actually ruses as part of Bond's undercover activities.
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