 The non @-@ profit organization Sakata Location Box was established in December 2007 to handle on @-@ location matters such as finding extras and negotiating locations . After deciding to shoot in Sakata , Location Box staff had two months to prepare for the eighty members of the film crew . Negotiations were slow , as many local property owners lost interest after learning that the filming would involve funeral scenes ; those who agreed insisted that shooting take place outside of business hours . 
