Speaking as a Japanese person, it¡¯s a bit disheartening to see the words ¡°samurai¡± and ¡°idiot¡± in the same sentence. Filmmaker Hyoe Yamamoto¡¯s documentary ¡°Samurai and Idiots: The Olympus Affair¡± not only pairs the two, it shows the lack of logic and wisdom behind the so-called samurai spirit that many Japanese (and the rest of the world) see as the very essence of the national mindset.
¡°Samurai and Idiots¡± revisits a 2011 scandal that rocked camera manufacturer Olympus Corp., when then-newly appointed CEO Michael Woodford blew the whistle on the company¡¯s shady accounting and dalliances with organized crime. Woodford was ousted from his post just two weeks afterward, terminating a 30-year career with the company. Before he left, however, the British businessman had torn the lid off what would become an enormous financial scandal involving one of the country¡¯s most respected and successful names. In the aftermath, the entire board of Olympus resigned and the previous CEO, along with others, were arrested.
¡°It¡¯s not really my story, it¡¯s a story about modern day corporate Japan,¡± Woodford says in the film, which is meticulous in showing how a powerful manufacturer could be taken down from the inside.
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