Sakyo Komatsu

was a Japanese novelist and science fiction writer.  He is best known for a 1973 book, Japan Sinks (Nihon Chinbotsu).Hevesi, Dennis.  "Sakyo Komatsu, 80, Science Fiction Writer, Dies at 80," New York Times. August 10, 2011; retrieved 2011-10-21.  

Early life
Komatsu was born in Osaka.  In 1954, he earned a degree in Italian literature at Kyoto University.  

Career
Komatsu worked as a magazine editor, a factory foreman and a comedy scriptwriter before he began writing science fiction.  

The premise of Komatsu's best known book, Japan Sinks, was confirmed in 2011 when parts of the Sanriku coastline sank more than a meter in the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. "High Tides Inundate Sunken Towns: March 11 earthquake caused some places to drop by 1.2 meters," Japan Times. May 11, 2011; retrieved 2011-10-21. ()  In the massive geologic shift, the land mass of the main island of Japan sank 2.4 centemeters. "Japan sinks 2.4 cm after March 11 quake,"Asahi Shimbun. October 20, 2011; retrieved 2011-10-21. ()  

Komatsu's most popular book was the basis of a 1973 film, a television series, a 2006 film remake,Toho Kingdom,  Japan Sinks; retrieved 2011-10-21. and a DVD.Shinji, Higuchi et al. (2007).  Sinking of Japan (DVD); retrieved 2011-10-21.

Selected works
In an overview of writings by and about Sakyo Komatsu, OCLC/WorldCat includes roughly 380+ works in 520+ publications in 14 languages and 1,520 library holdings. WorldCat Identities: 小松左京   

 日本沈没 (1959)
 Peace on Earth (1961)
 地球になった男 (1971)
  (1973)
 現代の神話 (1973)
 歴史と文明の旅 (1973)
  (1974)
 戦争はなかった (1974)
 果てしなき流れの果に (1976)
 日本文化の死角 (1977)
 物体O (1977 )
 アメリカの壁  (1978)
 Nihilistic Corridor (1999)
 小松左京自伝: 実存を求めて (2008)

Quotes
Shortly before his death, Komatsu wrote, "I had thought I wouldn’t mind dying any day, but now I’m feeling like living a little bit longer and seeing how Japan will go on hereafter."

 References 

 Other websites 

Category:1931 births
Category:2011 deaths
Category:Futurists
Category:Japanese novelists
Category:Science fiction writers
Category:Writers from Osaka