Kōji Yakusho
The making of the film lasted four years. Kōji Yakusho was reportedly the only actor considered for the role of Yamamoto, and the film would have been canceled if he turned it down. Yakusho was offered the role in the summer of 2009, and accepted the role in the winter of 2010. The production staff declared it intended to present an image of "what a Japanese leader should be".