From left: “Acacia” director Jinsei Tsuji, film festival ambassador Yoshino Kimura, the event’s green ambassador Anne and former pro wrestler Antonio Inoki

Tokyo film festival decides at last minute to include 'The Cove'

Thursday 17th September, 03:45 AM JST

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WhereamInow at 10:56 AM JST - 17th September

Interestingly, not only is there no reference to the movie on their official site, there isn't even a press release announcing their decision (in either language from what I can tell).
bakabaka at 11:08 AM JST - 17th September

The moview will be shown in a small closet at the same time as the most major films are being screened...
NuckinFutz at 11:25 AM JST - 17th September

Now you'll see the theaters declining to show the film citing "security concerns"
hirobito at 11:52 AM JST - 17th September

It does not seem to have been added to the schedule yet: http://www.tiff-jp.net/en/schedule/ So, it might be difficult to find out when/where it is showing.
davidattokyo at 11:55 AM JST - 17th September

I will be surprised if they don't show it out of concern for security, as Japanese people know all too well it is anti-whaling people who are a security threat.

Still doubt many Japanese people (apart from Greenpeace Japan affiliates etc) will want to waste time watching this, but the only bad thing that could happen out of this is people walk away from this festival being brainwashed by the one-sided propaganda. It speaks volumes of "The Cove" that people who were interviewed for it have later turned around and been saying that they had their comments misused and now want them removed from the movie (as reported in Time).
Potsu at 02:16 PM JST - 17th September

daviddatokyo:"Still doubt many Japanese people (apart from Greenpeace Japan affiliates etc) will want to waste time watching this, but the only bad thing that could happen out of this is people walk away from this festival being brainwashed by the one-sided propaganda" That's awfully paranoid.

Umm,how can you speak for MANY Japanese people ?? You seem to know just SO many people...lol. Why do you DOUBT that many people wouldn't want to watch it ? Bit presumptuous.
BlackOut at 02:21 PM JST - 17th September

my wife for one want to see it. she saw a short killing scene on the new last weekend. she was so outraged.

not every japanese agree with the dolphin and whale slaughter here.
davidattokyo at 04:08 PM JST - 17th September

Potsu,

Me doubting that many Japanese people will have much time for this is my opinion, not me attempting to speak for them. Reality is polls continue to show Japan is a country where the majority of people regard cetaceans as a legitimate source of food, and the majority of people I personally have met who have expressed an opinion about it think the western hypocrisy is a joke.

Why do you DOUBT that many people wouldn't want to watch it ?

I think there are many issues that are more relevant to Japanese people than what some foreigners think about dolphin harvests in Taiji, and thus relatively few Japanese people are likely to donate their time and money to listening to western propaganda about it. The kind of people who are likely to donate their time and money are probably the so-called "choir", as I mentioned in my previous comment.
Potsu at 06:07 PM JST - 17th September

davidattokyo: Fair enough,everyone has their opinions.BTW,which polls ? Any links for them ?
Potsu at 07:30 PM JST - 17th September

davidattokyo, Cheers for the link.
kirakira25 at 12:37 PM JST - 19th September

Don't miss the seafood buffet served during the intermission...

I know this is a serious issue...but thanks for that, it really tickled me!

"You`ve seen the show, now lets eat the cast.....!"
ChrisBiggins at 08:53 AM JST - 20th September

Show the film in all Japanese high schools and have a debate for and gainst the massacre.
scaramoucheii at 08:56 AM JST - 23rd September

Of all the Japanese persons interviewed in the film "The Cove" I have only read of one that wants to be removed from the film, and that was only after the announcement that the film will play in Japan.

I'm sure that he fears he will suffer for speaking the truth 'in Japan'.

Ryono stated "for the record" that mercury tainted dolphin meat was about to be served as school lunches to the students in Taiji, and that the mayor of Taiji was trying to promote this program across Japan. Now he want's to retract that statement ?? There must be a powerful PRO mercury poisoning lobby pressuring him.

A couple of points for discussion.

1; How can you regard poison meat as food ??

2; Is going out into a national park and harvesting the top level predator, upsetting the food chain, responsible ?

3; Wild animals caught for captivity must be caught in a non selective and humane manner or else WAZA members are not allowed to display them. The dolphins from Taiji are not!
scaramoucheii at 11:06 AM JST - 23rd September

Ryono actually went on the record in US media in 2007

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1668448,00.html

It's only because the film is now going to screen in Japan that he is backpeddeling.
davidattokyo at 01:22 PM JST - 24th September

1) How can you regard food that no one has died from (or displayed news-worthy symptoms) as "poisoned"? 2) Harvesting top level predators is not necessarily upsetting the food chain. On the other hand, harvesting everything but top level predators may be.

Ryono or whoever it was that was "back-peddling" was quoted as saying he didn't like what he perceived as an anti-Japan sentiment in the movie. It sounds to me like he felt his comments had been manipulated against his will for this purpose.