Makoto Shinkai has etched his name among the fans’ minds with his movies. He delivered one of the greatest-ever anime movies, Your Name, in 2016. Since then, fans have had higher expectations from every movie that his name has been related to. His latest film to hit the theatres was Suzume. It was released in 2022 in Japan and had a worldwide release in 2023.
Regardless of the story, everyone was excited about the film since it was Makoto Shinkai’s creation. It was a fascinating watch, but only a few people know the true inspiration behind the creation of Suzume. The director was inspired by 2011’s Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which was the most powerful earthquake in the history of Japan.
Suzume Holds A Real Life Significance
Suzume had a worldwide release in 2023. It instantly became one of the most successful anime films, grossing over $300 million worldwide. The film had a deeper meaning. Makoto Shinkai was heavily influenced by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and used it as the base for his movies. During an interview, he mentioned that he did not want to scar his audience, and would be happy if some of them were influenced and looked into the tragedy.
Makoto Shinkai said,
“When I set out to make “Suzume,” I didn’t want to choose its audience. I wanted to make sure that it was something that could be enjoyed regardless of whether you knew about the earthquake. If anything, I think a large majority of the audience and demographic who went to see this in movie theaters was too young to even recall what the earthquake was like or didn’t even experience it themselves because it has been some time since the incident”
Suzume and Shota were tasked with preventing worm-like creatures from causing havoc. The regions where the worm-like creature appeared were destined to be destroyed by earthquakes if the duo could not close the magical doors through which they emerged. The worm was used to make it more presentable to the audience. However, the earthquakes were inspired by real-life incidents.
The Tōhoku Earthquake Led To Other Calamities
The Tōhoku earthquake was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japan’s history. It was like a chain reaction as it gave birth to several other calamities. The earthquake caused a tsunami that flooded the Sendai region. The tsunami led to the meltdown of three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, and radioactive water was discharged into the area. Civilians were escorted out of their homes, and it became a traumatic experience for them.
In Suzume, whenever the worm-like creatures appeared, the civilians had an earthquake notice message on their cell phones, which also happens in real life in Japan. Sometimes, it also leads to false alerts, but the Tōhoku earthquake was like a nightmare to people. Modern seismography began in 1900, and it was the fourth-highest-recorded earthquake in the history of mankind. Apart from civilian casualties, Japan incurred huge losses, amounting to more than $30 billion.
Suzume is Makoto Shinkai’s way of presenting the hard life of the Japanese, as they have to live in constant fear. Apart from getting inspired by the incident, he also wanted his audience to know a bit more about the natural calamity. Makoto Shinkai has become the next big thing in anime movies, and movies like Your Name and Suzume prove it.
