is a 1973 film directed by

Shiro Moritani Shiro, Shirō, Shirow or Shirou may refer to: People * Amakusa Shirō (1621–1638), leader of the Shimabara Rebellion * Ken Shiro (born 1992), Japanese boxer * Shiro Azumi, Japanese football player 1923–1925 * Shiro Ichinoseki (born 1944), Ja ...

. It is based on the 1973 novel '' Japan Sinks'' by

Sakyo Komatsu was a Japanese science fiction writer and screenwriter. He was one of the most well known and highly regarded science fiction writers in Japan. Early life Born Minoru "Sakyo" Komatsu in Osaka, he was a graduate of Kyoto University where he stud ...

. The film stars

Keiju Kobayashi was a Japanese actor who appeared in 253 films in a career spanning 67 years. Born in Gunma Prefecture, he began acting at the Nikkatsu studio after dropping out of Nihon University and made his film debut in 1942. In 1956 he moved to Toho film ...

Hiroshi Fujioka , better known by his stage name , is a Japanese actor known for playing the hero Takeshi Hongo in the tokusatsu superhero series ''Kamen Rider'', and later the Sega Saturn mascot Segata Sanshiro (jokingly revealed to be Takeshi Hongo himself). ...

and Ayumi Ishida.

Synopsis

Two hundred million years ago, the

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

was a single continent. As the years progress, the single landmass splits off into smaller continents and islands. Thirty million years ago, the country of

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

was part of the continent of

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

, and has since split off into its own archipelago. Another landmass shift is about to occur. In the present day, geophysicist Dr. Tadokoro and Onodera Toshio take the submarine Wadatsumi-1 to the

Ogasawara Islands The Bonin Islands, also known as the , are an archipelago of over 30 subtropical and tropical islands, some directly south of Tokyo, Japan and northwest of Guam. The name "Bonin Islands" comes from the Japanese word ''bunin'' (an archaic readi ...

, in order to investigate tremors in the seafloor. They discover that the land mass of the Japanese islands is collapsing into the

Japan trench The Japan Trench is an oceanic trench part of the Pacific Ring of Fire off northeast Japan. It extends from the Kuril Islands to the northern end of the Izu Islands, and is at its deepest. It links the Kuril–Kamchatka Trench to the north and t ...

. Afterward, Onodera is introduced to Abe Reiko, and the two become lovers. Relaxing on the beach, they witness an eruption of Mt. Amagi. A meeting of government officials, including Prime Minister Yamamoto, focuses on assessing the disaster. Dr. Tadokoro warns that more eruptions and earthquakes are imminent, but his claims are rejected as alarmist. He later meets with a mysterious wealthy man named Mr. Watari, who agrees to fund the doctor’s research expeditions. With this funding, he develops a course of action to address a nationwide earthquake disaster. During a meeting to secure a research submarine from France, the volcano Kirishima erupts. Onodera leaves his job as a submarine pilot to help Dr. Tadokoro full-time. Further research verifies that the Japanese archipelago will be pulled into the ocean. This is immediately followed by a massive earthquake in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

causing immense damage and loss of life. Three months later, Tokyo is slowly recovering. The Prime Minister, who lost his wife in the earthquake, works closely with Mr. Watari and Dr. Tadokoro’s team. Their assessment is that another even larger earthquake is on the horizon. Dr. Tadokoro and his team meet with Mr. Watari at his secluded mountainside home. The doctor reveals his two-phase plan: D1-investigating seismic activity in the Japan Trench, and D2-an evacuation of the Japanese islands. The Prime Minister is negotiating with countries to accept refugees. Mr. Watari describes three options for Plan D2. One is the formation of a new country, a second is immigration and integration into other countries, and a third is a non-response that means passive acceptance of Japan’s fate. Onodera, drunk and agonizing over the public’s ignorance of the impending disaster, meets Abe Reiko for the first time since the Tokyo earthquake. The Japanese Meteorological Agency reveals devastating news; the original 2-year timeline for Japan’s sinking is inaccurate, shrinking to just 10 months. Immigration negotiations are sped up, though countries such as

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

and

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

are refusing to participate. Shipping and air transport production are increased, and a full announcement of Japan’s fate is released to the public nationwide. Onodera plans to marry Reiko and meet her in Geneva, but they are separated when a new earthquake triggers an eruption of Mt. Fuji. A

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

summit discusses possible locations for Japan’s population. In two months, 2.8 million Japanese have successfully evacuated; the low number frustrates Prime Minister Yamamoto. Japan’s sinking accelerates, with the

Kii Peninsula The is the largest peninsula on the island of Honshū in Japan. It is named after the ancient Kii Province. Overview The area south of the “ Central Tectonic Line” is called , and is home to reef-like coral communities which are amongst ...

and Shikoku submerged. The United States, China and the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

agree to accept large numbers of refugees, but evacuation estimates only increase to 8 million per month. The Sanriku coast, Tohoku district,

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...

Hokkaido is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The la ...

and

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

are submerged. 63 million Japanese remain on the archipelago, 57% of the original population. Eleven days before Japan is expected to completely sink, Onodera is shown engaged in rescue efforts, while hoping to reunite with Reiko. Prime Minister Yamamoto later announces a cessation of all

JSDF The Japan Self-Defense Forces ( ja, 自衛隊, Jieitai; abbreviated JSDF), also informally known as the Japanese Armed Forces, are the unified ''de facto''Since Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution outlaws the formation of armed forces, the ...

rescue operations. Mr. Watari, on his deathbed, has a final meeting with Dr. Tadokoro and the Prime Minister. The doctor states that he will remain in Japan until the end, and expresses his confidence in the Prime Minister’s leadership ability with the Japanese people’s uncertain future. A helicopter takes the Prime Minister to safety. a final view from space shows that all of Japan has sunk into the ocean.

Cast

Author Sakyo Komatsu has an uncredited cameo role in a scene where Onodera and Yoshimura have a meeting.

Release

''Submersion of Japan'' was released in Japan on 29 December 1973 where it was distributed by Toho.

American version

Roger Corman bought the U.S. rights to the film for his

New World Pictures New World Pictures (also known as New World Entertainment and New World Communications Group, Inc.) was an American independent production, distribution, and (in its final years as an autonomous entity) multimedia company. It was founded in 197 ...

. He cut out a great deal of footage, added new sequences directed by Andrew Meyer and starring Lorne Greene as an ambassador at the

, and released it as ''Tidal Wave'' in May 1975. The American version of the film's new cast members also included Rhonda Leigh Hopkins, John Fukioka,

Marvin Miller Marvin Julian Miller (April 14, 1917 – November 27, 2012) was an American baseball executive who served as the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) from 1966 to 1982. Under Miller's direction, the players ...

, Susan Sennett, Ralph James,

Phil Roth Philip Roth (July 6, 1930 – July 15, 2002) was an American television and film actor. Roth appeared in over twenty television shows and movies beginning in 1961 with a small role in an episode of ''Tallahassee 7000''. He had roles in several ...

, Cliff Pellow, and

Joe Dante Joseph James Dante Jr. (; born November 28, 1946) is an American film director, producer, editor and actor. His films—notably ''Gremlins'' (1984) alongside its sequel, '' Gremlins 2: The New Batch'' (1990)—often mix 1950s-style B movies wit ...

. New World additionally released an uncut subtitled format as ''Submersion of Japan''.

Box office

The film was the highest grossing film in Japan in 1973 and 1974. The film grossed more than twice of the second-highest grossing film of the year, '' Human Revolution''. The film earned () in Japan. It surpassed ''

The Godfather ''The Godfather'' is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling 1969 novel of the same title. The film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, ...

'' as the highest-grossing film in Japan until overtaken in December 1974 by ''

The Exorcist ''The Exorcist'' is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin and written for the screen by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1971 novel of the same name. It stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty W ...

''. The film was a big success at the United States box office.Christopher T Koetting, ''Mind Warp!: The Fantastic True Story of Roger Corman's New World Pictures'', Hemlock Books. 2009. pp. 80–83. The film earned in the United States, for a combined total of in Japan and the United States.

References

Sources

External links

* US edit/English-dubbed ''Tidal Wave'' * Original Japanese cut of ''Japan Sinks'' *{{IMDb title, 70447, Japan Sinks * Japanese Wikipedia 1973 action films Japanese disaster films 1973 films Toho tokusatsu films Films scored by Masaru Sato Films produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka Films based on Japanese novels Films based on science fiction novels 1970s Japanese films