You Only Live Twice (film) Mie Hama were eventually chosen and started taking English classes in the UK. Hama, initially cast in the role of Tanaka's assistant, had difficulty with the language, so the producers switched her role with Wakabayashi, who had been cast as Kissy, a part with significantly less dialogue. Wakabayashi only requested that her character name, "Suki", be changed to "Aki". Filming of "You Only Live Twice" lasted from July 1966 to March 1967. The film was shot primarily in Japan. Himeji Castle in Hyōgo Prefecture was depicted as Tanaka's ninja training camp. His private transportation hub was filmed at the Tokyo
You Only Live Twice (novel) confrontation was breaking out in December 1962, a direct challenge to British interests in the region. Fleming's increasingly jaundiced views on America appear in the novel too, through Bond's responses to Tiger's comments, and they reflect on the declining relationship between Britain and America: this is in sharp contrast to the warm, co-operative relationship between Bond and Leiter in the earlier books. "You Only Live Twice" is the twelfth book (the eleventh novel) of Fleming's Bond series and the last book completed by Fleming before his death. The story is the third part of the Blofeld trilogy, coming after "Thunderball",