Beatles fans have applauded the release of previously unseen footage of the band on tour in Japan after a fierce legal battle over the 35-minute video. The silent black-and-white recording of the British band’s only visit to the country, in 1996, was recorded by police as a security measure. They show musicians stepping off a plane in matching kimonos and performing to an enthusiastic crowd at Tokyo’s Budokan stadium, as well as behind-the-scenes police operations.
However, these images have a peculiarity: all the faces, except those of the members of the Beatles, were pixelated for privacy reasons. This factor was essential for fans and freedom of information advocates, who waged a long and tortuous battle demanding that the images remain uncensored.
They took the case to the Supreme Court of Japan, arguing that the video is a “historical document” and appealing to the authorities to release the original version. Despite appeals, the request was rejected by the court in 2018 and the images were released in late September after four years of pixelation work.
“The film first saw the light of day… I’m sure Beatles scholars and fans around the world will pay close attention to it,” said Satoshi Shinkai, leader of the civic group that halted the legal battle with authorities. and the fans. from the band.
The Beatles are still very popular in Japan, but they only toured the country once, with five concerts, and were followed by legions of fans. Now, the police have turned it over to Shinkai’s group, which posted the footage on YouTube, arguing that it was nearly impossible to identify the people in the footage more than 50 years later.
For Satoshi Shinkai, who is also a lawyer, the facial pixelism to which the video was subjected shows Japan’s “retrograde mentality” towards the dissemination of information and its “covert views on culture.”
Source: TSF
