Makoto Shinkai recently revealed how tragic events in Japan inspired his new movie, Suzume no Tojimari. This new info comes via an interview with the Your Name director that was shared shortly after his latest film’s Japanese release.
Shinkai was interviewed by Animate Times recently. There, he revealed two of the main things that inspired his latest film, one of which is something that non-Japanese folks might not expect.
Japan’s Declining Population Was a Starting Point for Suzume no Tojimari
Shinkai’s latest film can be classified as a road movie. When asked why he made such a film, Shinkai responded by saying how Japan’s declining population was a starting point for the movie’s concept.
In case you didn’t know, Japan’s population has sadly been on a decline over the past decade.
It is even projected to shrink even more in the coming years. This has caused lots of places in Japan to be abandoned.
Shinkai noted that while humans have funerals for those who pass away, there’s no such thing as a funeral for ruins or abandoned houses. This became his starting point for the film’s story.
In Suzume no Tojimari, Makoto Shinkai wanted to create a story that, according to him, features a trip to mourn places where people have disappeared.
This initial concept was then developed into a road movie about places given that the main character travels across Japan in the story.
YOU MIGHT LIKE: Makoto Shinkai’s Suzume no Tojimari Reveals Theme Songs in New Trailer
How the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake Inspired Suzume no Tojimari
Aside from Japan’s decreasing population, another source of inspiration for the movie is the 2011 Tohoku earthquake.
This event that happened over a decade ago is one of the most tragic events in modern Japanese history as it caused thousands of deaths and thousands more to be displaced from their homes.
In Shinkai’s new interview, he mentioned that the 2011 Tohoku earthquake has been a key element or motif in his previous works, including Your Name and Weathering With You as both have natural disasters in their story.
But with Suzume no Tojimari, Shinkai says that the new film is a more direct depiction of a natural disaster which might make it more powerful, especially for younger viewers who don’t have memories of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake.
Suzume no Tojimari was released in Japanese cinemas on November 11, 2022, and is also confirmed to get an international cinema release soon.
Discover more of our insights and the latest anime news by following us on Twitter @epicstreamanime.
READ NEXT: Is Suzume no Tojimari Related to Weathering With You or Your Name?
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!