Sinking of Japan

Japan Sinks or Sinking of Japan (日本沈没, Nihon Chinbotsu) is the title of a 1973 science fiction novel by Sakyo Komatsu and two film adaptations of that work made in 1973 and 2006.

2006 Film

Japan Sinks (日本沈没)
File:Japan sinks.jpg
Directed by	Shinji Higuchi
Written by	Sakyo Komatsu (Novel) Masato Kato
Produced by	Kazuya Hamana Toshiaki Nakazawa
Starring	Tsuyoshi Kusanagi Kou Shibasaki Etsushi Toyokawa Mao Daichi Mitsuhiro Oikawa
Cinematography	Taro Kawazu
Music by	Taro Iwashiro
Release dates	April 15, 2006
Running time	135 min.
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese

‎The 2006 Tokusatsu film was directed by Shinji Higuchi and was a remake of the 1973 screenplay based on the Komatsu novel. The film stars Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, Kou Shibasaki, Etsushi Toyokawa, and Mao Daichi.

The theme song for the film is "Keep Holding U" by SunMin thanX Kubota. There are selected translated passages in English by Michael Gallagher (translator).

Synopsis

The film concentrates on the collisions of tectonic plates which causes the central plate which japan sits on to break apart. As a result, Japan will break apart in 338 days and collapse into the Pacific Ocean.

An earthquake shakes Japan, Toshio (Tsuyoshi Kusanagi) saves a girl from the disaster. They are then rescued by Reiko (Kou Shibasaki) in a helicopter. With the vast destruction of Japan, the government is left salvaging the country. Yusuke (Etsushi Toyokawa) discovers that Japan is on an unstable central plate and will sink within a year.

With the instability of the tectonic plates; earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis continue to hit Japan. The government is forced to attempt to evacuate the population of Japan as the death toll amounts. Many surrounding countries refuse to take the influx of Japanese refugees. Millions of citizens flee to Japan's mountainous highlands. Toshio wants to escape Japan to the United Kingdom, but Reiko sees fleeing as cowardice and tries to rescue more people in japan. Instead, they try to devise a way to save Japan from sinking.

Toshio volunteers to take a submersible down and arm a set of bombs alongside the undersea fault to stop the center plate from collapsing.

Trivia

• There is a parody film named "Everyone But Japan Sinks" (日本以外全部沈没)‎ related to this title.
• Anno Hideaki, a cofounder of Gainax alongside Higuchi, had a cameo role in this movie, as did his real-life wife; in the movie, their characters were also married.
• Mayumi Shintani had a cameo role as well. Her debut as a seiyu was in a Gainax anime, Kare Kano, which was directed by Anno.
• Yoshiyuki Tomino of Mobile Suit Gundam fame also had a cameo in the movie.

External links

• Sinking of Japan at IMDb
• Japan Sinks (Nihon Chinbotsu) Main Page (Japanese)
• Japan Down (Ilbon Chimmol) Main Page (Korean)
• Review of the film at Dreamlogic.net