Japan Sinks

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For other uses, see Japan Sinks (disambiguation).

Japan Sinks

Author	Sakyo Komatsu
Original title	日本沈没
Translator	Michael Gallagher
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese
Genre(s)	Thriller Science fiction novel
Publisher	Kodansha International
Publication date	1973
Published in English	1976
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages	224 pp
ISBN	ISBN 978-4770020390

Japan Sinks (日本沈没, Nihon Chinbotsu^?) is a disaster novel written by Sakyo Komatsu in 1973. A film based on the novel was made the same year directed by Shiro Moritani and a remake in 2006 by Shinji Higuchi. The novel received the 27th Japanese Detective Writers Association Prize and 5th Seiun Prize for a Japanese novel-length work.

It took Komatsu 9 years to complete his novel. The publisher wanted the novel to be written in two different sections, both published at the same time. In 1995, after the Osaka-Kobe earthquake, Komatsu had a second English abridged edition published (ISBN 4-7700-2039-2). In 2006, a sequel the novel was published and there is talk of a third.

[edit] Plot summary

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After a big quake, Toshio Onodera awakens and gets out of the rubble of his car. Finding ruins are the only ones left. He saw Misaki Kuraki, Near the cars. He notice a gas from beneath. Toshio also catches a glimpse of Mt. Fuji's eruption. A post fell and cause an explosion. Reiko Abe the women firefighter was able to rescue Toshio and Misaki.

As the news spread, the government find out, with a couple of scientist Japan will sink, and it won't even last a year. Prime Minister Yamamoto was trying to cooperate with other countries. As Prime Minister Yamamoto was on his way to China, several volcanic eruptions occur. Destroying mountains, roads and buildings. The plane where Prime Minister Yamamoto was, crashed. As debris of debris flew, destroying ancient houses, buildings.

Aftermath of the tragedy. It was says that 30 million died on the eruption. Other reports concluded 80 million deaths. The government of Japan tries to evacuate as many as they can. The stocks of Japan crashes. Meanwhile, on a port, where thousands of people evacuating was quenting, they spotted the sea as it rose. They started to panic. Tsunami hits the country in no time. Destroying and killing millions more.

Toshio was says to Reiko he was going to England. He wants Misaki and Reiko to be with him. But, Rieko rejects.

As the evacuation continues, A large earthquake hits Japan, destroying buildings. the roads are also being destroyed. Buildings collapse in an instant, as the earthquake shook Japan, the water from the tsunami infiltrates. Destroying and maybe killing even more. As the evacuation continues, people from the harbour that was waiting for a ship saw another tsunami. The other ship full of people was drown into the sea as the tidal wave eat it.

As Misaki and the others are trying to reach higher lands, landslides began, killing a thousand more and near killing Misaki. Until they saw a bridge also collapse.

The next day, when Rieko woke up, she found a note and Toshio gone. Rieko tries to stop Toshio, But she fails. They hug each other before Toshio flew away.

Toshio accept Yusuke Tadokoro's mission to save Japan. He took a submarine and emerged to the sea. Then, he puts the igniter on the ignition core and the N2 explodes like a nuclear bomb, killing him. The explosion occurred around Japan.

Rieko had rescue Misaki as they look on the clear orange sky. The explosion of Mt. Fuji was prevented (or postponed only). The secretary of the Prime Minister Yamamoto explained that they are going back and all those evacuated will be collected and will return to their home.

[edit] Geophysical background

This is Plate Tectonics at quick work. Major plates involved in these earthquakes and volcano eruptions towards the final calamity are the Philippine Plate, the Eurasian Plate and the Pacific Plate. Japan is on a destructive plate boundary, where the Philippines Plate subducts the Eurasian Plate. It is a triple junction and three subduction zones are involved. A final fault rupture of about a 1000 km in length is gradually building up.