Today on Too Opinionated, we sit down with filmmaker John LaDue.

After a successful run in Japan, filmmaker John LaDue's latest feature documentary, Children of Yamato, has officially come to the United States via Amazon Prime. LaDue is excited to share this rare, introspective look at Japan's post-war identity and the complex legacy of American reconstruction.

The film challenges one of modern history's most celebrated narratives; that the U.S. rebuilding of Japan was an unqualified democratic success. Instead, LaDue exposes the unseen costs of that transformation: a nation whose spiritual and cultural roots were severed in the process.

Through evocative imagery and deeply researched storytelling, Children of Yamato traces the lingering impact of those policies across generations. The documentary follows LaDue as he embarks on a quest to rediscover the "heart of Japan," unearthing what was lost in the pursuit of modernization. LaDue's vision brings a fresh perspective as an American who was born in Hawaii, yet raised in Japan.

Featuring interviews with scholars, Shinto priests, and Japanese citizens, the film offers an unflinching look at how Westernization reshaped Japan's sense of self, leaving younger generations untethered from their origins. It's a bilingual, visually poetic exploration of heritage, With Children of Yamato, LaDue expertly weaves personal narrative, historical investigation, and spiritual inquiry into a film that challenges viewers to reconsider how history shapes identity.

CHILDREN OF YAMATO is now streaming in the U.S. on Amazon Prime.

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