産經ニュース
sankei.jp.msn.com/life/trend/080409/trd0804090413003-n1.htm

文化庁の映画助成について、　衆議院議員、弁護士・稲田朋美こう述べる：

「今回、映画『靖国　ＹＡＳＵＫＵＮＩ』（李纓監督）の一部映画館での上映中止をめぐって私が批判の矢面に立たされている。私たちが問題にしたのは、この映画自体ではない。そこに文化庁所管の日本芸術文化振興会が７５０万円の公的助成をしたこと、その一点についてである。

　発端は一部週刊誌が「反日映画『靖国』は日本の助成金７５０万円で作られた」と報じたことだった。試写会を見た複数の友人からは、この映画に弁護士時代の私が映っているとも伝えられた。もちろん私は、この映画で観客の目にさらされることを同意したことはなかった。

　そこで２月に、私もメンバーである自民党若手議員の「伝統と創造の会」（「伝創会」）で助成金支出の妥当性を検討することになり、文化庁に上映を希望した。当初、文化庁から映画フィルムを借りて上映するとして、日時場所も決めたが、その後製作会社が貸し出しを拒否する。そして文化庁協力と書かれた国会議員向け試写会（主催者不明）の案内が配布され、伝創会の上映会は中止に追い込まれた。

　朝日新聞が報じたような「（私が）事前の（公開前）試写を求めた」という事実は断じてない。助成金を問題にする前提として対象となる映画を見たいと思うのは当然であり、映画の「公開」について問題にする意思は全くなかったし、今もない。「事前の試写を求めた」という歪曲（わいきょく）について朝日に訂正を求めているが、いまだ訂正はない。」
「≪「日本映画」ではない≫」
「≪歪曲された私の意図≫」

I am researching about Japanese politics and I am trying to understand what is happening here about the cancellation of the "Yasukuni" Film. Do i understand correctly: ?

• The film is controversial in Japan (and popular in neighboring Asian countries) because it shows the passions around Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo, where the souls of Japan's war dead are enshrined, including some people who are convicted war criminals of the Asia-Pacific War. Some people in Japan consider it simply a place to honor the dead, but others see it as a symbol of the Japanese empire- and either view it with dread (e.g. pacifists, victims of war atrocities) or use it as a rallying point (e.g. ultra-nationalists).

Former Prime minister Koizumi caused an international diplomacy problem with the neighboring countries by insisting on visiting the shrine.

The film itself is not very judgemental, but
the director, who is a Chinese-born resident of Japan, is known to be critical of the ultra-nationalists and in general with the degree of denial among Japanese about wartime actions.

• The internationally acclaimed art house-style film was scheduled to be shown starting this month in about 20 theatres around the country, but suddenly about 5 theatres cancelled the screenings.

• In the Mainichi Jp article, ＜「靖国」上映中止＞福田首相「誠に遺憾」Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda regrets the cancellation of screenings of the film "Yasukuni"- if they were the result of harrassment (by right-wing groups)Right?

My guess: They probably WERE cancelled because of harrasment. The director has been receiving threats for months it said in a New York Times article. Also, it is well-known that ultra-nationalists try to suppress any kind of discussion about the possibility of the war-time imperial forces having done anything improper. Some of their prominent 'successes' in the past: an attack on and subsequent sacking of an editor of a major newspaper (Asahi) for trying to raise the "Comfort Women" issue. Mysterious last-second edits on a documentary broadcast on national television (NHK) on a non-governmental war-crime tribunal in which the war-time emperor was found guilty of war crimes. A consequent legal investigation found major political figures, including later Prime-minister Abe had pulled funding strings from above while from 'below' ultra-nationalist groups threatened the producers and editors.

• In the Sankei News article, a Diet Member (and Lawyer) defends herself. She says she has been attacked for supposedly asking for the film to be checked by Diet members before public showings, and even causing the cancellations of the screenings at theatres. She is a member of the notoriously right-wing "LDP Young Diet Members Group".
She says that
– producing any kind of film is protected as free speech.
- BUT: this film received a production grant from a governmental fund. she read in some weekly magazines [many of which are right-wing] that an anti-Japanese film was being sponsored by the Japanese government.
- so she and other members of the Diet group wanted to make sure it met the funding requirements and requested to see it before public screenings. but the distributor refused to show the film to them.
- the funding requirements include: The film must be Japanese. AND The film must not promote a particular political or religious point of view.
– she argues that "Yasukuni" is not Japanese because the director and producer are Chinese and the director used to work for a Chinese state broadcaster [nevermind the director is a legal resident of Japan of almost 20 years and the production company has its headquarters in Tokyo].
- the film is political because taking up the subject of Yasukuni itself is political [though note that the regulation only says it should not PROMOTE a particular point of view], and it includes a scene where someone criticizes former prime minister Koizumi for visiting the shrine [though it apparently also includes scenes of people supporting him, including a US citizen].
... this far i think i got it. But what does she say then? in the section ≪歪曲された私の意図≫ ? I cannot understand at all.

... anyway, one cannot help but be struck by the similarities to the war-tribunal documentary on NHK affair: the combination of pressure from above and below, the players being the same: the same right-wing LDP group trying to pull financial strings while stressing the right to free speech (most importantly for themselves), the death threats from ultra-nationalist groups, the right-wing weeklies stirring up hysteria, the Asahi Newspaper attacking the LDP group, the politicians pretending that they are the ones being reasonable but in the discussion conveniently leaving out just as many salient details as those attacking them, if not more. The success in any case consists in effectively suppressing a constructive broad-based discussion by making sure that not many people get to see the documentary.