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 First English edition (Harper & Row) | |
| Author | Sakyo Komatsu |
|---|---|
| Original title | 日本沈没 |
| Translator | Michael Gallagher |
| Language | Japanese |
| Genre | Science fictionthriller |
| Publisher | Kobunsha |
Publication date | 1973 |
| Publication place | Japan |
Published in English | 1976 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback &Paperback) |
| Pages | 224 pp |
| ISBN | 978-4-7700-2039-0 |
| OCLC | 33045249 |
Japan Sinks (Japanese:日本沈没,Hepburn:Nippon Chinbotsu) is a disaster novel by Japanese writerSakyo Komatsu, published in 1973.
Komatsu took nine years to complete the work. It was published in two volumes, both released at the same time. The novel received the 27thMystery Writers of Japan Award and theSeiun Award for a Japanese novel-length work. The English translation was first published in 1975. In 1995, after theOsaka-Kobe earthquake, a second English edition (ISBN 4-7700-2039-2) was published. The English translation is abridged[citation needed]. In 2006, a sequel to the novel, co-authored withKōshū Tani, was published.
The novel has led to works in other media as well as a sequel: afilm based on the novel made in the same year directed byShirō Moritani, amanga adaptation written byTakao Saito and published inWeekly Shōnen Champion in 1973–74, a television drama byTBS andToho broadcast in 1974–75, afilm remake in 2006 byShinji Higuchi, aparody created in 2011 that features reverse disaster, anoriginal netanime series released onNetflix byScience Saru in July 2020, and a reboot drama,Japan Sinks: People of Hope, broadcast in October 2021 on TBS.
Japan is on adestructive plate boundary, where thePhilippine Sea Platesubducts theEurasian Plate. It is atriple junction and three subduction zones are involved. After the2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, towns likeIshinomakisubsided.
This novel is now seen as an important look into the cultural context of 1970s Japan, particularly due to its level of popularity.[1]
| Japan Sinks: 2020 | |
 Promotional poster | |
| 日本沈没 2020 (Nihon chinbotsu ni-zero-ni-zero) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Science fiction,drama[2] |
| Created by | Sakyo Komatsu |
| Original net animation | |
| Directed by | Masaaki Yuasa(chief) Ho Pyeon-gang(series) |
| Written by | Toshio Yoshitaka |
| Music by | Kensuke Ushio |
| Studio | Science SARU |
| Licensed by | Netflix |
| Released | July 9, 2020 |
| Runtime | 25–32 minutes |
| Episodes | 10(List of episodes) |
Anoriginal net animation (ONA) series adaptation of the novel was announced on October 9, 2019. The series, titledJapan Sinks: 2020, was animated byScience Saru, with Ho Pyeon-gang andMasaaki Yuasa served as directors. Toshio Yoshitaka handled seriescomposition,Naoya Wada designed the characters, andKensuke Ushio composed the series' music. Yuko Sasaki,Reina Ueda andTomo Muranaka are credited with starring roles. It was released worldwide byNetflix on July 9, 2020.[3] A film compilation version of the series was subsequently released in Japanese theaters on November 13, 2020.[4]
Shortly after the2020 Tokyo Olympics, a major earthquake hits Japan. Amidst the chaos, the Mutou siblings Ayumu (a 14-year-oldtrack and field athlete) and her younger brother Gou (a 7-year-old video game enthusiast) attempt to escape the city with their family and friends. However, the sinking Japanese archipelago complicates their escape. Plunged into extreme conditions, the Mutou siblings believe in the future and acquire the strength to survive with utmost effort.
| Character | Japanese voice actor | English dub actor |
|---|---|---|
| Ayumu Mutō (武藤 歩) | Reina Ueda | Faye Mata |
| Gō Mutō (武藤 剛) | Tomo Muranaka | Ryan Bartley |
| Kaito / Kite | Kensho Ono | Aleks Le |
| Haruo Koga (古賀 春生) | Hiroyuki Yoshino | Billy Kametz |
| Mari Mutō (武藤 マリ) | Yuko Sasaki | Grace Lynn Kung |
| Kōichirō Mutō (武藤 航一郎) | Masaki Terasoma | Keith Silverstein |
| Osamu Asada (浅田 修) | Daiki Hamano | Jamieson Price |
| Nanami Miura (三浦 七海) | Nanako Mori | Abby Trott |
| Kanae Murota (室田 叶恵) | Tomoko Shiota | Cathy Cavadini |
| Kunio Hikita (疋田 国夫) | Umeji Sasaki | Doug Stone |
| Saburō Ōtani (大谷 三郎) | Taichi Takeda | Kim Strauss |
| Daniel | Gensho Tasaka | George Cockle |
| No. | Title | Original release date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Beginning of the End" Transliteration: "Owari no hajimari" (Japanese:オワリノハジマリ （終わりの始まり）) | July 9, 2020 (2020-07-09) |
| 2 | "Farewell, Tokyo" Transliteration: "Saraba, Tōkyō" (Japanese:さらば、東京) | July 9, 2020 (2020-07-09) |
| 3 | "A New Hope" Transliteration: "Aratana Kibō" (Japanese:新たな希望) | July 9, 2020 (2020-07-09) |
| 4 | "An Open Door" Transliteration: "Aita Doa" (Japanese:開いたドア) | July 9, 2020 (2020-07-09) |
| 5 | "Illusion" Transliteration: "Iryūjon" (Japanese:イリュージョン) | July 9, 2020 (2020-07-09) |
| 6 | "An Oracle" Transliteration: "Orakuru" (Japanese:オラクル) | July 9, 2020 (2020-07-09) |
| 7 | "The Dawn" Transliteration: "Yoake" (Japanese:夜明け) | July 9, 2020 (2020-07-09) |
| 8 | "Mom's Secret" Transliteration: "Mama no Himitsu" (Japanese:ママの秘密) | July 9, 2020 (2020-07-09) |
| 9 | "Japan Sinks" Transliteration: "Japanshinku" (Japanese:ジャパンシンク) | July 9, 2020 (2020-07-09) |
| 10 | "Resurrection" Transliteration: "Fukkatsu" (Japanese:復活) | July 9, 2020 (2020-07-09) |
Onreview aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 72% approval rating based on 18 reviews, with an average rating of 6.54/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Japan Sinks: 2020's swell of tension and frenetic pace leave little room to breathe, but bursts of hope and interesting insights into humanity may help brave viewers weather its apocalyptic story."[5] The series attracted criticism within Japan for its condemnation ofJapanese nationalism,[6] but also received positive attention in the West for its multiculturalism and inclusiveness,[7] and was named as one of the best anime series of 2020.[8][9]
The first episode ofJapan Sinks: 2020 was awarded the 2021Annecy Jury Prize for a Television Series,[10] and the series as a whole received two nominations at the2021 Crunchyroll Anime Awards.[11] The compilation film version of the series was awarded a Jury Selection Prize at the 2021Japan Media Arts Festival.[12]
A parody short story byYasutaka Tsutsui, titledNihon Igai Zenbu Chinbotsu (The Whole World Sinks Except Japan) was also released in 1973, and adapted intoa film of the same name in 2006.
A parodyvisual novel byYonago Gainax, titledNihon Chinbotsu Desu Yo, is scheduled to be released in 2025.[13]
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