Does the bank guarantee it?
The unsinkable battleship Yamato
We often hear about gatherings to encourage politicians, but what about gatherings to encourage film producers? A recent event held at Hotel Okura was called “a Gathering to Encourage Yoshinobu Nishizaki.” Mr. Nishizaki is known as the creator of the famous Space Battleship Yamato, but I was surprised when I peaked into the Heian Room where the event was held.
It was attended by approximately 600 people, including politicians, such as Shintaro Ishihara, Akira Kuroyanagi, and Iori Yamaguchi, as well as Takami Shobochi (Chairman of Nippon Columbia), Haruo Shikanai (Vice-President of Fuji Television), and Susumu Watanabe (President of Watanabe productions)! A full band took to the stage, swordfish sashimi was laid out on the tables, and to top it all off, hostesses from Ginza added to the festivities. A truly extravagant event!
Previously Mr. Nishizaki made a large loan to a food company owned by lawyer Masatomo Yamazaki, a former member of the Soka Gakkai, and was burdened with “nearly one billion yen in debt,” making it seem like he was beyond recovery. However, like the Battleship Yamato, he revived in just over a year and a half and announced the production of the fourth installment, Space Battleship Yamato, The Final Chapter.
As expected of an unsinkable battleship! Mr. Nishizaki himself said, “it was very difficult to restore it to this extent. We had to cut our staff of nearly 120 down to a third. I even borrowed money from the bank.” But at the venue, executives from Sanwa Bank, his banking partner, exchanged cheers, and executives from Sumitomo and Mitsui banks also watched with keen interest. It’s rare these days for a film to be guaranteed by a bank. Is it all because Battleship Yamato is unsinkable, meaning it’s sure to be a hit?
I wonder if there are really four leaves on that clover.
