At a special preview of "Yasukuni" demanded by rightwing groups, some of the 150 members criticized the controversial, but award-winning, documentary about the so-named Tokyo war shrine and even threatened to sue the state for subsidizing part of its production.
Rightwing groups arranged the preview so their members could have an opportunity to watch the film before passing judgment on it. Lawmakers demanded and got an earlier preview.
"Speaking straight, (this is) an anti-Japanese film. There is no doubt," Seishuro Nakao, an executive of a rightwing group, told the audience after the preview, which was held at the Loft Plus One live music club in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward.