It's worse than that. Japan was forced open by the United States in part for the convenience of the American whaling industry, and US post-war policy was to encourage whale consumption in Japan. There's not only hypocrisy to resent, but also being obligated to keep to the schedule of foreign cultures that treat as…

You don't suppose they went with Trump because his small hands make their food look bigger?

What is grass-roots is the popular resistance to the United States frequent attempts to redefine the conditions of Japanese peace so that Japan would be more helpful for the United States in military matters, with the post-war peace tradition and pacifist constitution being used as a crucial part of the argument. The…

I think a thing to keep in mind is that it's constructed in such a way as to make the choice Seita makes seem understandable, and not unfathomably irresponsible. It'd be difficult to say it's not heavy handed given the nature of the film, but it could be a polemic that's more disrespectful of its audience than it is.