If you loved
After the Quake
Haruki Murakami · Book · 2002
If you loved After the Quake, you are drawn to stories where the quiet, intimate aftermath of catastrophe reveals the fragility of the human soul.
Films on the same thread
Departures
Yojiro Takita · Film · 2008
Much like the characters in After the Quake, the protagonist here navigates the somber process of finding meaning and personal resilience while confronting the inescapable reality of mortality and loss.
Suzume
Makoto Shinkai · Film · 2022
This film mirrors the preoccupation with seismic disaster found in After the Quake, using a journey of healing to explore how individuals process collective grief and national trauma.
Grave of the Fireflies
Film · 1988
This tragic narrative echoes the emotional weight of After the Quake, focusing on the survival of ordinary people left to navigate the wreckage and psychological scars of national catastrophe.
Tokyo Story
Film · 1953
Like the stories in After the Quake, this film masterfully observes the shifting social fabric of Japan, capturing the quiet, existential isolation that often follows significant societal change.
Series on the same thread
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
Series · 2006
If After the Quake hit, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion shares the thread.
Tokyo Revengers
Series · 2021
If After the Quake hit, Tokyo Revengers shares the thread.
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Series · 1995
This series shares the existential dread present in After the Quake, centering on characters who must confront their internal psychological trauma against a backdrop of apocalyptic, society-altering destruction.
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
Series · 2021
If After the Quake hit, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation shares the thread.
Podcasts on the same thread
Making Sense with Sam Harris
Sam Harris · Podcast · 2026
If After the Quake hit, Making Sense with Sam Harris shares the thread.
Unexplained
iHeartPodcasts · Podcast · 2026
If After the Quake hit, Unexplained shares the thread.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is After the Quake based on true events?
Yes, After the Quake is a response to two real disasters that occurred in Japan in 1995. The book explores the aftermath of the January Kobe earthquake and the March poison-gas attacks that took place in the Tokyo subway system during the morning rush hour.
What inspired Haruki Murakami to write After the Quake?
Haruki Murakami wrote After the Quake after abandoning his life abroad to return to Japan. He felt compelled to confront the national grief and social transformation caused by the twin tragedies of the Kobe earthquake and the subsequent subway gas attacks.
How does After the Quake relate to the 1995 Tokyo subway attacks?
The 1995 Tokyo subway poison-gas attack is a central theme in After the Quake. Haruki Murakami returned to Japan specifically to address the impact of this event and the Kobe earthquake, using the book as a way to process the country's collective experience following these disasters.
Did the Kobe earthquake influence the content of After the Quake?
The Kobe earthquake is one of the two primary events that shaped After the Quake. Haruki Murakami wrote the book to confront the physical and social destruction caused by the earthquake, as well as the subway gas attacks that occurred in Japan during the same year.