User reviews

Overall one's reaction to this film will rely on how interested they are in geology and plate tectonics. There are several points in this film where it grinds to a halt and we are "treated" to a lecture about how the earth's crust and mantle work and why the destruction of Japan is so imminent. While ostensibly quite boring, this actually perked up my attention as the whole scenario seems quite plausible. Japan is in fact in a precarious geologic position and could indeed one day (albeit over the course of millions of years) fall away into the Japan Trench.

This movie asks you to accept a huge what-if scenario for if continental drift could suddenly accelerate to cataclysmic rates. Fortunately this film also does a pretty good attempt to simulate this, relying heavily on Teruyoshi Nakano's brilliant pyrotechnic effects.

The real show-stopper comes about 40 minutes into the film with the out-of-nowhere 15-minute earthquake that strikes Tokyo and kills over 3 million people. What a bodycount! I think it had to be the largest in any film up to that point. Lots of quality shots of oil refineries exploding, cars crashing, people running around on fire, and even some surprisingly graphic gore when glass shards rain down on civilians. This sequence (along with the film in general) is aided immeasurably by one of Tetsuro Tamba's best performances ever as the stoic, yet prone-to-outburst prime minister.

Unfortunately this mid-movie sequence is the high point of the film. The climax is clumsily structured and not very exciting at all, instead deciding to focus on two married evacuees being separated. Quite disappointing. At least the film maintains a level of earnest seriousness which can draw you in even though there is little or no character development... much like VIRUS did seven years later. Also it asks some good questions such as whether a nation deserves to exist when the land underneath it ceases to be... or what human life (when we're not talking about a few, but 100 MILLION) is really worth.

Overall though, this film is a bit talky and poorly structured, but personally I was quite intrigued and not bored... and the mid-movie destruction and mayhem (as only the Japanese can deliver) was well-worth the price of admission. Also, refreshingly for Toho films of the time, there are no annoying children and no attempts at humor. Zero.

This will be the first comment here that actually reviews the original 143-minute Japanese film, THE SUBMERSION OF JAPAN (1973) and not the shortened, recut 82-minute U.S. release version, TIDAL WAVE (1975).

THE SUBMERSION OF JAPAN is based on a 1973 novel, "Japan Sinks," by Sakyo Komatsu, that posits a series of geological disturbances, described in great scientific detail, that cause the Japan archipelago to first be broken up and then, ultimately, completely submerged. In the novel, the eventual catastrophe is presaged by a series of quakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, etc. that alert the most forward-thinking members of the scientific community to the fate awaiting Japan. There are a few main characters, but the book never gets very close to any of them, preferring to flit back and forth between developments on a number of fronts, including the reactions of various foreign governments to pleas by Japan to take its refugees. The ostensible hero is Onodera, an expert at underwater exploration, and his love interest is Reiko, a sexy, somewhat impulsive rich girl looking for a husband. He doesn't really have much of a part (at least in the abridged English translation I read), while Reiko only has about two scenes.

I watched an unsubtitled tape of the movie right after reading the book. The movie is incredibly talky. I would estimate that 90 percent of it consists of men sitting in cramped rooms talking. What I found especially frustrating is the lack of urgency. We see none of the smaller disturbances around the country that build up to the big disasters. We get virtually nothing until the 54-minute mark when an earthquake suddenly hits Tokyo and causes massive death and destruction. Within two minutes of its start we see Tokyo in flames and sensational shots of people trapped in burning cars and catching fire and being crushed by falling debris. No build-up. No sense of a chain of cause-and-effect. And then nothing for another 53 minutes. It's right back to the men in suits sitting in rooms, talking, talking, talking.

The movie is also poorly shot, directed and edited. There doesn't seem to be any attention to production design. The visuals are invariably dull or ugly. Nothing looks right. When the Prime Minister has his first big meeting with scientists about the crisis, it takes place in a small conference room of the type you'd find in a public school or local government office. They seem to have shot wherever they could get quick access to an actual interior instead of actually building sets or seeking locations that looked good on film. I don't know whether they thought this would make it look realistic or semi-documentary or something, but it makes the whole enterprise look incredibly cheap. Also, there are very few establishing shots, so we almost never know where anything is taking place. Every time the scene changes, it's a cut from one cramped interior with one group of characters to another cramped interior with another group of characters that could be down the hall or a thousand miles away for all we know.

While watching it, I kept thinking back to Ishiro Honda's films, most notably GODZILLA (1954) and RODAN (1957). Any one of his films looked far better, cinematically, and far more realistic in their depictions of disaster than this film did. Why didn't Toho hire Honda to direct this? He was, after all, the studio's in-house expert on the use of miniature sets in the destruction of Tokyo and would certainly have gotten a lot more mileage out of the miniatures used here than this director, Shiro Moritani, did.

The one major star in the cast, Tetsuro Tanba (YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, MESSAGE FROM SPACE), plays the Prime Minister, who becomes much more of a major character than he was in the book and is seen, uncharacteristically, yelling and carrying on at a high emotional pitch in several scenes. (Why does he yell at the top of his lungs over the phone at a helicopter pilot who is simply trying to report on the Tokyo fire and earthquake? Is that something a Prime Minister would do?) Also in the cast, in the role of Onodera, is Hiroshi Fujioka, better known to U.S. fans of Japanese fantasy as "Kamen Rider," from the TV series of that name. (He was also the star of the U.S.-made Samurai-in-ice thriller, GHOST WARRIOR, 1982.)

I should point out that I've also seen Roger Corman's edited version of this film, TIDAL WAVE (1975), which I remember as being pretty awful. I used to harbor hard feelings toward Corman for the butchery he performed on the original film, but, having finally seen the original, I can't see any way this film could have been released, as is, in the U.S. It's just too long, slow, talky and cheap-looking.

One of the epic disasters of the 1970s, Tidal Wave debutted with movie reviews (even in the NY Times) that failed to mention Lorne Greene in top billing in the US had been dubbed in to appeal to american audiences and to arc off Lorne greene's successful portrayal of a disaster victim in Earthquake. Lorne Greene appears in two or three disconnected scenes (as President of the US not as Ambassador as the credits indicate.)

Compared to the other films in the disaster genre, Towering Inferno, Omega Man, Poseidon Adventure and Earthquake, Tidal Wave was all wet.

This picture is rarely shown and deserves to be forgotten.

Some great movies come out of Japan...this isn't one of them. Unfortunately, most Japanese Hollywood style blockbusters come out looking like TV dramas...complete with poor scripting, poor acting and low low budget effects.

As if that isn't bad enough this movie perpetuates a particularly sad Japanese view of the world...namely, that no-one cares about them. We have seen the compassionate way that the world reacts to disasters. We can be quite sure that, in the event of a situation like this, that given the combination of japan's wealth, its ties with other economic powers, the compassion of the people of the world etc.. that

1. Countries would put together their technological resources and manpower to try to solve the problem (Japan would not be on its own to try to deal with it) and 2. If it were not possible to solve the problem, many countries would gladly take in refugees.

The message of this film is that Japanese people are innocent victims alone in their suffering and that the rest of the world can not be relied on to aid them in any way. This is, of course, a fallacy that makes for a rather pathetic world-view... but one that certainly helps create a sense of nationalism. The formula used in this movie could be equally well put to use by the propaganda writers of North Korea...though I guess if they did they did make such a film it probably wouldn't be far from the truth in their case.

Watch this film if you really have absolutely nothing else to do or see. Be prepared to be bored, annoyed and bemused...on the positive side at least you'll come away from this understanding something of the Japanese psyche.

In the wake of the disaster cycle of the 1970's Roger Corman imported this film about the destruction of Japan, hacked out about 90 minutes, added Lorne Greene and dumped it on an easily fooled American public. How would Gone with the Wind survive with over three fifths of it cut away?

If you should be lucky enough to see the full Japanese cut of this film you will be treated not only to a spectacular disaster film, the disaster sequences being what Corman primarily pillaged, but one that raises many interesting social questions, if you know a country is ceasing to exist, what do you do with the population? What happens when one of the world's financial powers ceases to exist? How does the world view the Japanese, or any country for that matter? The social questions are shoe horned in to the drama of people not only trying to survive the destruction but also find a place to go.

The full two hour and thirty minute version is one of the best big budget disaster films ever made. Actually its much better than that, its simply one of the best films I've run across. Certainly its infinitely better than the film that runs half its length and is its bastard child.

See the full version and avoid Tidal Wave.

This is the original film adaptation to the popular science fiction novel by Komatsu Sakyo, Nihon Chinbotsu. The scale of the disaster and the uniqueness of the implications has never before been matched by any film (except for probably the remake). Here's why: Nihon Chinbotsu is very simply about Japan Sinking in to the ocean. With great eruptions of volcanos and tremendous earthquakes, the homeland of the Japanese will completely disappear along with their factories, landscapes, cherry blossoms, cultural artifacts, and the homes and lives of millions. And none of these things can be rebuilt. The Japanese do not rise out of the ashes with a will to reconstruct their nation, the Japanese do not find hope in the rubble, there is nothing. The homeland is lost forever and the Japanese will have to live amongst people they have no ties with, in a culture foreign and a language unknown, amongst hatred with the label a refugee forever.

You can clearly see that this movie is not the traditional disaster flick. If you just want to see exciting heroics and special effects, this movie will not deliver. It's an old film and from 21st century standards, the visible strings and cheesy explosions cannot satisfy. But the movie makes up for it in substance. The story, the characters, the despair, is all believable. The questions raised like, are the Japanese worth saving once they've lost all their economic power? And because the story takes place in Japan, of course the people also begin to consider dying with their homes.

It's definitely a must watch especially if you've seen the recent remake or don't have time to read the book. If you're Japanese, take the extra moment to think about what you would do in this situation and this movie will leave a lasting impression on your mind.

Back in 1973, I have the opportunity to see this film in a lush big screen and back them that was an impressive show. Of course, anyone that has grown up in today's computer animated hyper realistic effects will dissect the movie mercilessly. In the other hand, we have here a film that depicts an event that 35 years later will make a good docudrama in the Discovery Channel. This drama described with precision a nation loosing his homeland to a great cataclysm that literally erase Japan out of the map, dispersing the surviving population around the globe separating families and friends to eventually live at the mercy of surrogate countries. I will love to see this film made again with today's f/x technology. Japanese filmmakers have matured well enough to create one the most shocking films ever.

I don't know WHAT some other reviewers on here were watching...but it certainly could not have been the original "Nippon Chinbotsu" (aka" Submersion of Japan")...but probably the Roger Corman cheapie-chopped version known as "Tidal Wave".

To which...if it were "Tidal Wave" (made, as always...by schlockmeister Corman...to make a quick buck piggybacking on the coattails of the Mid 70s disaster craze)...then yep (aside from the Special Effects...which are amazing in either version), then I grant you..."Tidal Wave" is pretty bad.

But the Japanese Original? Is EVERY BIT on par (if not better than) The Towering Inferno and Earthquake...combined.

The Towering Inferno was also "talky". So to whomever said that Chinbotsu was "talky"...fails to realize that the BEST disaster films always flesh out the characters and the actors actually ACT. (Not just jump out of skyscraper windows or roll down hills in a train car attacked by Killer Bees).

As for the SpFX? For its time...they are of ELITE caliber. The tidal wave sequences, volcanic eruptions are "Cecil B DeMille/Irwin Allen" level...all the way.

The original (of course) wouldn't "translate well to American Audiences", and is exactly why Corman bought it up/chopped it up, dumbed it down..tossed Lorne Greene in it and released it as "Tidal Wave".

But the ORIGINAL version of this film.... IF you can ever be fortunate enough to see it or get your hands on it...is "The Poseidon Adventure...of Japan disaster films".

It is simply...an epic and the very best disaster film they ever made.

But same as "The Japanese often seem to LOVE American Made Disaster Films" (Poseidon, Towering Inferno, Earthquake...ALL made big bucks in Japan, long after they ended their US box office runs...but they ALSO EVEN seem to like the ones that tend to bomb. Japan gave some "extra legs" to pathetic films like The Swarm and Meteor.

So, in retrospect...simply because "Tidal Wave" was a cheeseball chop chop version released here by Corman and his garbage-makers...should NOT cause any disdain to the epic that Nippon Chinbotsu is and was.

That original film...deserves a NEW RELEASE HERE. For it was a masterwork.

I really like this flick. It's like a monster movie without the monster, lots of japanese people screaming a lot and running away from exploding model buildings. Its actually made me think a bit...what would happen if this were true? Would the countries of the world take in hundreds of millions of immigrants if their country became unlivable?

In the wake of the recent tsunami and series of earthquakes in Japan, this movie I had seen as a child came to mind. I remember the disaster scenes being pretty horrific (although this was the pre-CGI era). I also remembered the United Nations or some body akin to it deciding on the distribution of the Japanese population to various nations who agree to receive a number of refugees. With the earthquakes continuing and the possibility of another if not several tidal waves occurring, one hopes this movie doesn't become a reality for Japan. I've learned from reading the other reviews that there is a shorter hacked version of this movie. I'm trying to get a copy of the full length original movie. I think the one I saw was the original although couldn't swear to it. If anyone knows where it's available, whether DVD or VHS please let me know. [email protected]

Disaster flicks proliferated in the 70s, and they have remained a fairly steady fixture ever since, usually becoming more extravagant and far-fetched over time. Hollywood is most famous for churning out the genre (or really, most infamous), but the film industry in the United States can hardly claim a monopoly. Enter filmmaker Moritani Shiro and his adaptation of Komatsu Sakyo's novel, 'Japan sinks' (also known as 'Submersion of Japan'). In varying degrees it follows the broad formula established in subsequent years adopted by features as straightforward as 1997 modern classic 'Dante's Peak' and as far-flung as 2003 misfire 'The core': focusing on a relatively select few characters to anchor the proceedings while fostering sentiment for people at large, and establishing an emotional center; laying the groundwork with scientific observation and explanation before extrapolating for storytelling purposes; increasing ill omens, and destructive events on a smaller scale to precede the primary, slowly unfolding event; building a team of experts with specific skill sets; and so on, up to and including big effects sequences. Exactly how much you get out of this iteration may depend on the favor you extend to disaster movies generally; however, I'm very much of the mind that 'Japan sinks' tends to distinctly be smarter and more measured than most of its brethren - and in all honesty, this may actually be one of the best examples of the genre.

Granted, "smarter and more measured" doesn't necessarily say so much in and of itself; at the end of the day the genre is still all about major spectacle, profound devastation, and massive loss of life, fictional though it may be. How these hallmarks are conjured, however, can make a big difference, and strong writing and execution will help a title to stand taller than its peers. Happily, I think this is an instance that is surprisingly solid and worthy, and for the way in which it approaches the material, it holds up far better than I'd have expected based on the concept alone. Precisely how much credit belongs to author Komatsu and how much to screenwriter Hashimoto Shinobu I do not know, but one way or another the writing comes across to me as gratifyingly shrewd as it works hard to remain as grounded as possible in reality. There is an element of science fiction, certainly, yet the premise is teased out with enough underlying science to make it seem plausible, and more than can be said of more extreme blockbusters. Even more to the point, while this piece definitely gives us the anticipated tragic pageantry after its own fashion, a significant portion of the runtime is built as a drama that zeroes in on the finer points of pending calamity. In that, truthfully, it manages not only to be more earnestly compelling than a pure cinematic bonanza of active ruin, but is ultimately far more impactful - and frankly, terribly bleak, as the film echoes real life in ways that continue to be despairingly relevant today.

The plot shifts from discovery of the pending doom, to early tastes of worse yet to come, to rumination and preparation, and to taking action amidst mounting catastrophe. To my pleasure as a viewer, this is a crucial strength of the feature. Drawing on notions that are entirely too familiar to people who listen to climate scientists, epidemiologists, psychologists, sociologists, and others who are genuine authorities in their fields, the great intelligence of the narrative, dialogue, and scene writing is in how they allude to or directly reflect on matters that could just as well be pulled from modern headlines, scientific journals, the minutes of meetings of academic and professional societies, and the publications of progressive institutions. Despite countless warnings and all available evidence, some people invariably refuse to listen to cold hard reality, or see what is right in front of them; day-by-day crisis management, the response of the state, and careful dispensation of information exist on a razor's edge. Even more at the forefront are the staggering logistical difficulties of evacuating an enormous population, and the political difficulties of immigration and accepting refugees. Questions are raised of the inevitable diaspora, what it means to be a people separated from their home, and if humans should even endure as a species if our existence is so dependent on a rather narrow band of ideal conditions. That Komatsu, Hashimoto, and in turn Moritani are able to maneuver so deftly between such a breadth of ideas, more personal human drama, and the spectacle that such pictures commonly portend - and moreover, to make it all count - speaks incredibly highly of them all.

I readily admit that I'm more likely to regard movies well when they favor practical stunts and effects over computer-generated imagery. The cheapest tangible creations will always hold up long after the most state-of-the-art CGI has become outdated, and one could cite innumerable examples. Perhaps if 'Japan sinks' had been made in the 80s, or 90s, or beyond, it would also have employed digital wizardry, and would consequently have fallen into the same trap as so many other flicks of all stripes. Thankfully that isn't the case, though, and these 143 minutes are flush with sequences of flashes, explosions, flames, miniatures, fabricated props and set pieces, special makeup, and more (including some judiciously employed stock footage) to bring the cataclysm to bear. Further accentuating how wisely the title was shaped, there is emphatic, welcome balance here between these scenes of stunts and effects and the softer yet no less urgent drama that serves as the foundation. In fact, the two halves very adeptly complement each other, and it's almost more true that the scenes of spectacle are peppered in amidst those that are more down to earth. I, for one, am exceptionally pleased at how effective this method is, and in turn all contributors among both cast and crew arguably have more opportunity to sincerely demonstrate their skills than would otherwise be true. All those stunts and effects are superb, and mindful restraint utilizes detached representation almost as much to illustrate the progression of events. The cast give commendable performances of meaningful, controlled range and emotional depth befitting the material; among many others, Tamba Tetsuro, Fujioka Hiroshi, and Ishida Ayumi all stand out. From sets, sound, and lighting to costume design, hair, and makeup, all those operating underappreciated behind the scenes turned in excellent work. The cinematography is sharp, and maybe even more so the editing of Ikeda Michiko. Composer extraordinaire Sato Masaru delivers a score that capably bolsters the drama at all times - and seated in the director's chair, Moritani weaves all the moving parts together into a saga that is engaging, raptly absorbing, and satisfying and even rewarding to an extent beyond what I had supposed sights unseen.

One is accustomed to disaster flicks being big-budget monstrosities in which major landmarks are subjected to all manner of assault by nature, and this is usually the first if not only concern on hand. It's definitely what I had guessed this would be. I'm so very glad that I was mistaken, and all throughout the runtime 'Japan sinks' shows itself to be a better, brainier, craftier, and more deserving variation then it even seems at first blush. It is still kith and kin with more formulaic iterations, and more tiresome iterations, yet it is more thoughtful and purposeful than the preponderance of any similar productions. I sat with somewhat mixed expectations, and I step away decidedly happy with just how good it is. While the film remains fairly downbeat in the grand scheme of things, with horrid death both depicted and suggested, all involved strove mightily to make something of more last importance, and the results speak for themselves. As far as I'm concerned this deserves much more recognition, and I'm thrilled to give 'Japan sinks' my high and hearty recommendation.

This film is very rarely shown. As one of the biggest fans of the disaster movie genre, I can honestly say that the film is a disappointment. The Japanese version of this film was excellent from what I understand, but the American version that I saw was terrible. Lorne Green was dubbed in for American audiences in 1975 and the movie was retitled Tidal Wave. I believe 1973 is listed on IMD's records. I think you may be incorrect. I have always seen the movie date as 1975 everywhere else. The special effects are worth seeing as some of the acting, but again very disappointing as far as the tidal wave sequences. It is worth watching once if the networks ever air it again. This picture is very rare and almost forgotten.

Once again the beautiful city of Japan is threatened by natural disasters. Lord knows Japan has suffered through a lifetime of loss by tsunamis and earthquakes and volcanos. The special effects are good and the storyline is less than exciting even to a devoted disaster movie fan like me. I would recommend anyone to view it once, that is if it is ever aired again. You will find the movie at least partly entertaining as long as the network does'nt show too many commercials to lose your interest.