The Analysis Of Japanese Disaster Culture Including Crisis Sense Based On "japan Sinks"

"Japan Sinks" is a science fiction novel that was completed in1973by SakyoKomatsu. It is one of the most influential works of Japanese science fiction. It wonseveral awards, including the twenty-seventh Mystery Writers of Japan Award and thefifth Nebula award. Knowledge of geography and the science of earthquakes enableus to better appreciate the novel. The foundation of this book rests on a disasterconsciousness rooted deeply in the Japanese consciousness since ancient times. Thefact that this work also acted as a window onto the Japanese psyche helped "JapanSinks" become famous internationally."Japan Sinks" was published during the period of Japan’s rapid economic growth,a time when popular literature flourished. Attitudes towards Japan’s rapid economicgrowth can be seen in the frequent allusions to mass media that the author makes. Thebook describes the sudden sinking of the Ogasawara Islands and the eventual sinkingof the whole county. Onotera, the protagonist, Doctor Tadokoro, and the primeminister, headline a unique cast of characters. Onotera, Doctor Tadokoro, and theprime minister belong to different classes, and their response to "disaster culture" ismediated by their social status. In a way, these three characters stand-in for theirrespective segments of Japanese society.In this article, I begin by examining the origins of the theme of "disaster culture"in "Japan Sinks". Secondly, I consider this "disaster culture" from the point of view ofthe characters and of descriptions of the action. Finally, I analyze the work as a wholefrom the perspective of the Japanese desire for their island’s survival.