“Japan Sinks: 2020” alerts us to prepare for catastrophic disaster

I had believed somewhere in my heart that a huge natural disaster would never really happen to me until I watched “Japan Sinks: 2020.”

Japan Sinks: 2020 depicts ordinary people’s survival of catastrophic disaster

The work created by a famous Japanese anime director, Masaaki Yuasa, was one of the disaster films trending in 2020, the year of the pandemic. It is based on a novel with the same title written by Sakyō Komatsu in 1973, and it has been adapted into TV series and movies several times. And now, a Netflix anime series is available worldwide.

Japan Sinks: 2020 follows the lives of an ordinary family, the Mutō family, trying to survive after a massive earthquake and catastrophic secondary natural disaster in Japan. Amid the chaos, the Mutō family and their friends try to escape the city while the sinking Japanese archipelago blocks their way. The series consists of ten 25-minute episodes.

This series is not something that I can objectively judge as good or bad since that is a matter of personal preference, but it does clearly offer a reminder and warning regarding the terrifying power of natural disasters. I’ve seen many people criticizing the series for its unrealistic setting and unrealistically fast pace. It is indeed true that many important characters die too quickly for viewers to feel sorrow for them, and the whole story is incredibly dark and tragic. Yet despite all this, I think the series’ features are realistic and conceivable. In the memoir of survivors of the tsunami in 2011, one person reflected that he was so desperate to survive that he didn’t have time to mourn his family’s death.

Japan has prepared for disasters, but it’s never enough

Living in Japan demands living with natural hazards. As a result, Japan has created countless systems, from government policies to grassroots movements in order to prevent disasters in the name of “bōsai (防災)” meaning disaster prevention. Each household is expected to have a bōsai map showing high-risk areas, evacuation routes and emergency kits that include food stockpiles and emergency supplies. Each company is requested to ensure employees’ safety and install disaster-resistant facilities. However, on the other hand, most Japanese citizens react passively like, “Oh, again?” when they feel shaking because there are over a thousand earthquakes in Japan in a year. We are used to earthquakes both in a good way and a bad way.

A massive earthquake may hit Japan or other countries any time

Luckily, I haven’t experienced a catastrophic disaster yet. Although various special TV programs like documentaries and educational programs have broadcasted on the anniversary day of natural disasters, I still couldn’t imagine one of those tragedies could strike me until I saw the series. The series shows not only how important it is to prepare for disasters on a daily basis for us but also how insufficient and fragile we are even though Japan has been working so hard as one of the most disaster-resilient countries.

The series shows all the tragedies and hopes through the characters’ points of view as if those were my own affairs. It presents me with an intense and overwhelming yet possible future that all of us should be prepared for. In that sense, many people may find it well worth watching.