In Japanese, the film's tagline is 日本よ、これが映画だ or "Hey Japan, this is a movie". Strange no? I guess you could interpret that a few different ways, but some Japanese folks have taken it as an insult.
Novelist Toshihiko Yahagi has said that this tagline deeply offended and angered him, adding:
"Having an American say, 'Hey Japan, this is a movie' is deeply unpleasant. I swear that there is no way I'm going to see this film." Columnist Takashi Odajima's response is a little less extreme, as he explains why it may have caused such offence. Odajima points out that to some it could be like colonialists saying to native people,
"Hey native people, this is culture." or The New York Times saying,
"Hey Japan, this is journalism.". I guess I can see that, although the reality is, this tagline was most likely thought up by a Japanese person anyway! Either way, it seems that to many the tagline has been construed as a bit of a slight against the Japanese film industry, which has seen better days.
Personally I think it is at the very least a strange way to promote a movie, but on the other hand, no press is bad press right? What do you guys think - can you see why this would be insulting? Or are people overreacting? Sound off below.