Watching this made me think of the movie Oppenheimer, for many reasons. The cinematography is excellent, and the sets and exteriors are done quite well. Having worked with Japanese counterparts on extraordinary technical projects, I can see the interplay behind the scenes and at "the final conference" looking and sounding exactly as-portrayed in the movie. I even upgraded my rating because the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
Now, why Oppenheimer? Think of the subject. This is Imperial Japan's super-weapon. It was built under tremendous secrecy. The yard and slip were camouflaged to prevent enemies, especially the USN, from observing the ship. The IJN (Imperial Japanese Navy) had developed and pushed a form of the Kantai Kessen (or Decisive Battle Doctrine), a naval strategy adopted prior to the Second World War, in which the Japanese navy would win a war by fighting and winning a single, decisive naval action. The designers (whomever they were) sought to build this ultimate war-winning weapon, and hoped to force the USN to cede control of the Pacific as far east as Midway. This was no less a National priority than the Manhattan Project, whereby all of Japan's security interests would take shape in this "beautiful" ship. The Japanese designers and gun Admirals believed that the Yamato-class BB would handily defeat several capital ships in a single engagement. Having three of these (yes, three were ordered) would be a powerful deterrent to interference by the USN.
Unfortunately, the gun Admirals under-estimated the power of the the aircraft carrier as an OTH (over-the-horizon) strike weapon. So badly did they do so, that on the day she died Yamaha fell under the guns, bombs, and torpedoes of nearly 400 American aircraft. In three separate attacks, the agony of her death left few surviving crewmen.
The actual cost of the IJN Yamato exceeded 250 Million Japanese Yen (more than 5 BILLION yen today, but revaluation of the Yen makes comparisons difficult). The movie states that the initial false estimate was a fraction of that, and it accurately forecasts the final cost. On the eve of the Allies' occupation of Japan, special-service officers of the Imperial Japanese Navy destroyed virtually all records, drawings, and photographs of or relating to the Yamato-class battleships, leaving only fragmentary records of the design characteristics and other technical matters. The destruction of these documents was so efficient that until 1948 the only known images of Yamato and Musashi were those taken by United States Navy aircraft involved in the attacks on the two battleships. Although some additional photographs and information, from documents that were not destroyed, have come to light over the years, the loss of the majority of written records for the class has made extensive research into the Yamato class somewhat difficult. Because of the lack of written records, information on the class largely came from interviews of Japanese officers following Japan's surrender.
And so, back to the movie. Is it factual? We might never know, and I doubt anyone alive can say with any degree of accuracy. Like Michael and Jeff Shaara of Civil War novel fame, the storytelling imagines a reality that is all too probable. At the time, the early 30s, the IJA (Imperial Japanese Army) was in heated competition with the IJN for funding. Japan's actions already had drawn the ire of the international community, and senior Japanese politicians were looking for a way to guarantee access to materials and labor in the region. Their GDP was about a tenth that of the US, and yet they wished to establish a hegemony over Asia, much like a modern China is doing. The IJN staff certainly felt the pressure. It is likely that Yamamoto, a proponent of the aircraft carrier, knew of corruption within military procurement circles, and of improprieties by senior Naval officers and Admirals. He himself had a mistress. One scene even throws those improprieties on the table, and the manic laughter tells the tale as well as it could be told. Having observed and participated in meetings between executives of Japanese companies and western companies, I don't see any melodrama.
Did the protagonist LTCDR save Japan? No spoiler there. But this movie portrays an interesting period in Japan as well as I have seen. That odd cross between medieval hierarchy, back-room deals, and more modern attitudes by subordinates is still evident in some parts of Japanese business. Step away from your sense of whatever, and enjoy a movie well-made. Stop looking at it with western eyes, and give homage to the notion that even in Japan, there were honorable men who questioned the ethics and conduct of their esteemed elders.
We might never know. Enjoy the movie.
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