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{{Tab
{{Tab
|credits      =The Last War/Credits
|credits      =The Last War/Credits
|soundtrack  =The Last War/Soundtrack
}}
}}
{{Infobox Film|ratings=yes
{{Infobox Film|ratings=yes
|type1        =Water
|type1        =Water
|type2        =Fire
|type2        =Fire
|image        =The Last War Poster 1.jpg
|image        =The_last_war_higher_res_poster.jpg
|caption      =The Japanese poster for The Last War
|caption      =The Japanese poster for The Last War
|header      ={{Toho}} {{Film}}
|name        =''The Last War''|titles=yes|alt-titles=yes
|name        =''The Last War''|titles=yes|alt-titles=yes
|dt          =''The Last War'' (1961)
|dt          =''The Last War'' (1961)
|jp-title    =''The Great World War'' (1961)
|jp-title    =''The Great World War'' (1961)
|director    =Shue Matsubayashi
|director    =[[wikipedia:Shūe Matsubayashi|Shue Matsubayashi]]
|producer    =Sanezumi Fujimoto, [[Tomoyuki Tanaka]]<ref name="TSEMCWorks">{{cite book|title=[[Toho Special Effects Movie Complete Works]]|date=28 September [[2012]]|publisher=Village Books|pages=59-60|isbn=4-864-91013-8}}</ref>
|producer    =[[Sanezumi Fujimoto]], [[Tomoyuki Tanaka]]
|writer      =Toshio Yasumi, [[Takeshi Kimura]]
|writer      =[[Toshio Yasumi]], [[Kaoru Mabuchi|Takeshi Kimura]]
|composer     =Ikuma Dan
|composer    =[[Ikuma Dan]]
|distributor  =[[Toho]]{{sup|[[Japan|JP]]}},<br>Brenco Pictures{{sup|[[United States|US]]}}
|sfx          =[[Eiji Tsuburaya]]
|gross        =¥284,900,000<ref name="Box Office">{{cite book|title=Kinema Junpo Best Ten 85 Times Full History  1924&rarr;2011|publisher=Kinema Junpo|date=2012|page=180|isbn=9784873767550}}</ref>
|produced     =[[Toho]]
|distributor  =[[Toho]]{{sup|[[Japan|JP]]}}, Brenco Pictures Corporation{{sup|[[United States|US]]}}, Heritage Enterprises{{sup|[[United States|US]] TV}}
|budget      =¥300 million{{sfn|Tanaka|1983|pp=210-211}}
|rentals      =¥284.99 million<ref name="Box Office">{{harvnb|Aoki|2012|p=180}}</ref>
|runtime      =110 minutes{{sup|[[Japan|JP]]}}<br>{{Small|(1 hour, 50 minutes)}}<br />79 minutes{{sup|[[United States|US]]}}<br>{{Small|(1 hour, 19 minutes)}}
|runtime      =110 minutes{{sup|[[Japan|JP]]}}<br>{{Small|(1 hour, 50 minutes)}}<br />79 minutes{{sup|[[United States|US]]}}<br>{{Small|(1 hour, 19 minutes)}}
|rating      =Not Rated
|aspectratio  =2.35:1
}}
}}
'''''The Last War''''' {{Nihongo|世界大戦争|Sekai Daisensō|lit. ''The Great World War''}} is a [[1961]] [[tokusatsu]] science-fiction film produced by [[Toho]]. It was released to [[Japan]]ese theaters on October 8, 1961.
{{Quote|The aspirations of the Japanese are in vain, for humanity's last hour has come!|par=日本国民の悲願も空しく 人類最後の時は来た!|Japanese tagline}}
{{Quote|LEARN WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF ANOTHER GLOBAL WAR BREAKS OUT!|International tagline}}
{{Quote|THE GREATEST <u>SPECTACULAR</u> MOTION PICTURE OF OUR TIME!<br>A MOST <u>TERRIFYING</u> SCIENCE FICTION DRAMA!|[[United States|American]] tagline}}
'''''The Last War''''' {{Nihongo|世界大戦争|Sekai Daisensō|lit. "''The Great World War''"}} is a [[1961]] [[tokusatsu]] science fiction drama [[:Category:Films|film]] directed by [[wikipedia:Shūe Matsubayashi|Shue Matsubayashi]] and written by [[Toshio Yasumi]] and [[Kaoru Mabuchi|Takeshi Kimura]], with special effects by [[Eiji Tsuburaya]]. Produced by [[Toho]], it stars [[Frankie Sakai]], [[Akira Takarada]], [[Yuriko Hoshi]], Nobuko Otawa, [[Yumi Shirakawa]], Chishu Ryu, and [[Jerry Ito]]. The film was released to [[Japan]]ese theaters by Toho on October 8, [[1961]], and premiered in the non-contiguous [[United States]] in Honolulu, [[Hawaii]] on January 3, 1962, following a sneak preview on December 29, 1961. Brenco Pictures Corporation produced an English-dubbed version for wider American audiences, which saw release in November [[1968]] at one Southern California drive-in before being picked up years later by Heritage Enterprises and sold to television.
 
Along with a by-then-customary Perspecta Stereophonic Sound-encoded mono track, ''The Last War'' was Toho's second film to be released in true 4-track magnetic stereo. The film's currently-unavailable international English dub was also the first that Toho released in true stereo.
{{TOC}}
{{TOC}}
==Plot==
==Plot==
In [[1961]], [[Tokyo]] is a bustling metropolis and [[Japan]] has recovered from the devastation of the Second World War. Mokichi Tamura works as a limousine driver at a press center where foreign reporters gather, and invests in the stock market to try and support his ill wife Oyoshi and three children. Mokichi's eldest daughter Saeko is in love with a young sailor named Takano, and the two plan to get married. Takano finally returns to Tokyo after his latest voyage and visits Ebara, the cook on his ship who could not serve on the most recent voyage due to a stomach ulcer. While recovering from his operation, Ebara has been helping his daughter Sanae run her daycare. Ebara explains to Takano that his time helping with the daycare and being around children has helped him learn to enjoy life even at his old age. Takano then comes to the Tamuras' home to stay with them for the time being. In Saeko's room, the two discuss asking for Mokichi's consent to their marriage. Saeko has already told her mother and received her blessing, but she is worried about what her father will say. Mokichi comes upstairs and overhears the conversation, and Saeko and Takano decide to finally ask for his blessing. Mokichi is hesitant, but his wife comes upstairs and joins the conversation. She recounts how madly in love Mokichi was with her when they were married, embarrassing him. Mokichi finally gives his blessing for the marriage, and the two begin planning for their wedding.
In [[1961]], [[Tokyo]] is a bustling metropolis and [[Japan]] has recovered from the devastation of the Second World War. Mokichi Tamura works as a limousine driver at a press center where foreign reporters gather, and invests in the stock market to try and support his ill wife Oyoshi and three children. Mokichi's eldest daughter Saeko is in love with a young sailor named Takano, and the two plan to get married. Takano finally returns to Tokyo after his latest voyage and visits Ebara, the cook on his ship who could not serve on the most recent voyage due to a stomach ulcer. While recovering from his operation, Ebara has been helping his daughter Sanae run her daycare. Ebara explains to Takano that his time helping with the daycare and being around children has helped him learn to enjoy life, even at his old age. Takano then comes to the Tamuras' home to stay with them for the time being. In Saeko's room, the two discuss asking for Mokichi's consent to their marriage. Saeko has already told her mother and received her blessing, but she is worried about what her father will say. Mokichi comes upstairs and overhears the conversation, and Saeko and Takano decide to finally ask for his blessing. Mokichi is hesitant, but his wife comes upstairs and joins the conversation. She recounts how madly in love Mokichi was with her when they were married, embarrassing him. Mokichi finally gives his blessing for the marriage, and the two begin planning for their wedding.
 
Outside of the Tamuras' peaceful family life, global political tensions are rising. The major world powers have split into two rival camps: the Federation consisting of the [[United States]] and its allies, and the Alliance consisting of the [[Russia|Soviet Union]] and its allies. Both sides have built up their nuclear arsenals, and the eruption of armed conflict could easily lead to a global nuclear war. The Cold War escalates when a Federal submarine enters Alliance military exercise ground in the North Atlantic. As a member of the Federation, Japan is obligated to take part in a war should one erupt. Despite currently suffering from a serious illness, Japanese Prime Minister Masaki is dedicated to finding a peaceful resolution and preventing a nuclear armageddon. A close call occurs when a Federation base receives an accidental order to launch its nuclear arsenal. The base's commander reluctantly presses the launch button, but is informed of the error and manages to stop the countdown before the missile is launched. Watkins, an American reporter currently in Tokyo who is driven by Mokichi, visits Takano at the Tamuras' home and informs him that tensions are growing along the 38th parallel in Korea. He is worried that should armed conflict resume between the Federation-backed South Korea and Alliance-backed North Korea, it could lead to a broader global war. Watkins travels to the 38th parallel to report on the situation, shortly after which armed conflict begins as artillery on both sides exchange fire. Federation and Alliance fighters join the battle before both sides deploy ballistic nuclear missiles. While the missiles used are not particularly high yield, the use of nuclear weapons in an armed conflict is an unprecedented move that raises global concerns. The Alliance responds by constructing more missile silos at its North Pole missile base. While excavating through the ice with explosives, the Alliance accidentally triggers an avalanche that damages the controls for a nuclear missile, beginning a launch countdown. The general and personnel trapped inside the silo with the missile realize that once it is launched, retaliation will be immediate before anyone can realize it was fired in error and the world will be annihilated. Taking matters into his own hands, the general climbs to the top of the missile and succeeds in removing the activator before the missile launches. Soon after, a ceasefire is declared at the 38th parallel and relations between the Federation and Alliance seem to be improving. Military personnel on both sides have begun to breathe a sigh of relief, and plan for what they will do when they return home.


Outside of the Tamuras' peaceful family life, global political tensions are rising. The major world powers have split into two rival camps: the Federation consisting of the [[United States]] and its allies, and the Alliance consisting of the [[Russia|Soviet Union]] and its allies. Both sides have built up their nuclear arsenals, and the eruption of armed conflict could easily lead to a global nuclear war. The Cold War escalates when a Federal submarine enters Alliance military exercise ground in the North Atlantic. As a member of the Federation, Japan is obligated to take part in a war should one erupt. Despite currently suffering from a serious illness, Japanese Prime Minister Masaki is dedicated to finding a peaceful resolution and preventing nuclear armageddon. A close call occurs when a Federation base receives an accidental order to launch its nuclear arsenal. The base's commander reluctantly presses the launch button, but is informed of the error and manages to stop the countdown before the missile is launched. Watkins, an American reporter currently in Tokyo who is driven by Mokichi, visits Takano at the Tamuras' home and informs him that tensions are growing along the 38th parallel in Korea. He is worried that should armed conflict resume between the Federation-backed South Korea and Alliance-backed North Korea, it could lead to a broader global war. Watkins travels to the 38th parallel to report on the situation, shortly after which armed conflict begins as artillery on both sides exchange fire. Federation and Alliance fighters join the battle before both sides deploy ballistic nuclear missiles. While the missiles used are not particularly high yield, the use of nuclear weapons in an armed conflict is an unprecedented move that raises global concerns. The Alliance responds by constructing more missile silos at its North Pole missile base. While excavating through the ice with explosives, the Alliance accidentally triggers an avalanche that damages the controls for a nuclear missile, beginning a launch countdown. The general and personnel trapped inside the silo with the missile realize that once it is launched, retaliation will be immediate before anyone can realize it was fired in error and the world will be annihilated. Taking matters into his own hands, the general climbs to the top of the missile and succeeds in removing the activator before the missile launches. Soon after, a ceasefire is declared at the 38th parallel and relations between the Federation and Alliance seem to be improving. Military personnel on both sides have begun to breathe a sigh of relief, and plan for what they will do when they return home.
This peace is shattered once Federation and Alliance aircraft begin to battle over the Arctic Ocean. War is declared as forces from both sides begin entering each other's territory. The use of nuclear weapons by both sides to attack the other's major cities appears inevitable, and a panic breaks out. Takano elopes with Saeko in [[Yokohama]] before leaving for his next voyage. Hearing the news of the impending nuclear war at sea, Takano contacts Saeko via telegram and the two exchange their final goodbyes. Saeko joins her family for New Year's dinner, which will in all likelihood be their final meal. While Oyoshi and Saeko are well aware of their impending doom, Mokichi remains in denial, insisting humanity will not bring about its own destruction. Oyoshi struggles to keep her composure and play along, but Saeko breaks down and expresses the certainty that they will all be killed. Mokichi storms off to his room and watches the sunset from his balcony. He loudly declares he and his family will survive, that he will move to a summer home with his wife, that he will have a beautiful wedding for Saeko, that he will see his younger daughter Haru fulfill her dream to become a stewardess, and that he will see his son attend university, something he himself could never do. As Mokichi finally accepts the reality of the situation, he breaks down and sobs. Sanae remains at her daycare with the children whose parents could not retrieve them, and comforts them in their final moments by reading to them. The Prime Minister sits silently and dejected in a room in the [[National Diet Building]], his efforts to preserve global peace having been in vain. At an Alliance missile base, one of the personnel agonizingly presses the button that launches a nuclear missile at Tokyo. The missile reaches and explodes over the city, the shockwave blasting apart the countless buildings like paper and causing [[Tokyo Bay]] to boil. A firestorm erupts, scorching what few buildings still stand, before black nuclear rain pours down, as the ground splits open and pours forth molten lava into the streets. A terrifying mushroom cloud envelops the city and can be seen from miles away. Other major cities around the globe meet the same fate: [[New York City|New York]], [[Paris]], [[London]], [[Moscow]], and many others are wiped off the map in an instant.


This peace is shattered once Federation and Alliance aircraft begin to battle over the Arctic Ocean. War is declared as forces from both sides begin entering each other's territory. The use of nuclear weapons by both sides to attack the other's major cities appears inevitable, and a panic breaks out. Takano elopes with Saeko in [[Yokohama]] before leaving for his next voyage. Hearing the news of the impending nuclear war at sea, Takano contacts Saeko via telegram and the two exchange their final goodbyes. Saeko joins her family for New Year's dinner, which will in all likelihood be their final meal. While Oyoshi and Saeko are well aware of their impending doom, Mokichi remains in denial, insisting humanity will not bring about its own destruction. Oyoshi struggles to keep her composure and play along, but Saeko breaks down and expresses the certainty that they will all be killed. Mokichi storms off to his room and watches the sunset from his balcony. He loudly declares he and his family will survive, that he will move to a summer home with his wife, that he will have a beautiful wedding for Saeko, that he will see his younger daughter Haru fulfill her dream to become a stewardess, and that he will see his son attend university, something he himself could never do. As Mokichi finally accepts the reality of the situation, he breaks down and sobs. Sanae remains at her daycare with the children whose parents could not retrieve them, and comforts them in their final moments by reading to them. The Prime Minister sits silently and dejected in a room in the [[National Diet Building]], his efforts to preserve global peace ultimately in vain. At an Alliance missile base, one of the personnel agonizingly presses the button that launches a nuclear missile at Tokyo. The missile reaches and explodes over the city, the shockwave blasting apart the countless buildings like paper and causing [[Tokyo Bay]] to boil. Flame storms through the city, incinerating the ruined scraps of the metropolis. Black nuclear rain pours onto the burning city, as the ground splits open and pours forth molten lava into the streets. A terrifying mushroom cloud envelops the city and can be seen from miles away. Other major cities around the globe meet the same fate: [[New York City|New York]], [[Paris]], [[Moscow]], and many others are wiped off the map in an instant.
Out at sea, Takano and the others on his boat witness the end of Tokyo as they see the mushroom cloud rising overhead. The captain asks the crew what they shall do next, remain at sea or return home to the wreckage of Tokyo. If they return, they will contract lethal radiation sickness from the fallout, and their boat will be contaminated before they even reach the shore. Everyone remains silent, signalling a unanimous decision to return home, with which the captain agrees. Ebara comes on deck and gives everyone coffee, feigning happiness and remarking how a good cup of coffee makes him feel glad to be alive. He looks out over the sea and struggles to maintain his composure, asking why they are willingly going to their deaths if life is so good. The captain gives the order to turn back to Tokyo, where its entire crew will meet certain death. Takano and Ebara stand on deck before finally breaking down and weeping as they prepare to join their loved ones in death.


Out at sea, Takano and the others on his boat witness the end of Tokyo as they see a mushroom cloud rising overhead. The captain asks the crew what they shall do next, remain at sea or return home to the remnants of Tokyo. If they return, they will contract lethal radiation sickness from the fallout, and their boat will be contaminated before they even reach the shore. Everyone remains silent, signaling a unanimous decision to return home, with which the captain agrees. Ebara comes on deck and gives everyone coffee, feigning happiness and remarking how a good cup of coffee makes him feel glad to be alive. He looks out over the sea and struggles to maintain his composure, asking why they are willingly going to their deaths if life is so good. The captain gives the order to turn back to Tokyo, where its entire crew will meet certain death. Takano and Ebara stand on deck before finally breaking down and weeping as they prepare to join their loved ones in death.
As the Diet Building sits among the scorched and molten ruins of Tokyo, the audience is reminded that this is a work of fiction that could one day become reality. Only by working together can mankind avoid this terrible fate.


As the Diet Building sits among the scorched molten ruins of Tokyo, the audience is reminded that this is a work of fiction that could one day become reality. Only by working together can mankind avoid this terrible fate.
==Staff==
==Staff==
{{Main|The Last War/Credits}}
{{Main|The Last War/Credits}}
{{Staffs
{{Staffs
|Directed by=Shue Matsubayashi
|Directed by=[[wikipedia:Shūe Matsubayashi|Shue Matsubayashi]]
|Written by=Toshio Yasumi, [[Takeshi Kimura]]
|Written by=[[Toshio Yasumi]], [[Kaoru Mabuchi|Takeshi Kimura]]
|Produced by=Sanezumi Fujimoto, [[Tomoyuki Tanaka]]
|Executive producers=[[Sanezumi Fujimoto]], [[Tomoyuki Tanaka]]
|Music by=Ikuma Dan
|Music by=[[Ikuma Dan]]
|Cinematography by=Rokuro Nishigaki
|Cinematography by=[[Rokuro Nishigaki]]
|Edited by=Koichi Iwashita
|Edited by=[[Koichi Iwashita]]
|Production Design by=Takeo Kita, Teruaki Abe
|Production design by=[[Takeo Kita]], [[Teruaki Abe]]
|Assistant Directing by=Yasuyoshi Tajitsu
|First assistant director|[[Yasuyoshi Tajitsu]]
|Special Effects by=[[Eiji Tsuburaya]], [[Sadamasa Arikawa]], Takao Miyuki, Yoshiyuki Tokumasa, [[Akira Watanabe]], [[Kuichiro Kishida]], Hiroshi Mukoyama, Kan Narita
|Director of special effects|[[Eiji Tsuburaya]]
|Recording by|Fumio Yanoguchi
|First assistant director of special effects|[[Masakatsu Asai]] (uncredited)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://31fb9f38.viewer.kintoneapp.com/public/0a3f41a74b8bb9e879c82e5240035410e01df4c27f0dfc1d2ef44495962b1f44/detail/def502003e4300099e5766037c94ff4a87714d407b06bf79ae611d4324065895833093c2d852c9868519eb64faa7ed736b46a788554963cad325091d887561fa2f463151759338a800b2f9a214986838a20d14f4a79e795cf64dbe5b2cca3d90e43283952b3981781e4a4002ea4133fd0ce0fa0e11ece8bc25c44a7753a52c45eea29363ebb3e92fc02cc27baaac510992bd57912ff63f7204|title=世界大戦争|trans-title=''The Last War''|work=Toho Reference Room|accessdate=2 October 2023}}</ref>
|Mixing by|Hisashi Shimonaga
|Production Manager|Boku Morimoto
}}
}}
==Cast==
==Cast==
Line 64: Line 73:
|Nobuo Nakamura|Chief Cabinet Secretary Fujikawa
|Nobuo Nakamura|Chief Cabinet Secretary Fujikawa
|Chieko Nakakita|Oharu
|Chieko Nakakita|Oharu
|Minoru Takada|[[Tokyo]] Defense Headquarters Commander
|Minoru Takada|[[Tokyo]] Defense Headquarters commander
|Shigeki Ishida|Arimura
|Shigeki Ishida|Arimura
|Naoko Sakabe|Suzue, Oharu's daughter
|Naoko Sakabe|Suzue, Oharu's daughter
|Kozo Nomura|Ishizaki
|Kozo Nomura|Ishizaki
|Masao Oda|Mr. Mochiya
|Masao Oda|Mr. Mochiya
|Yutaka Sada|Reporter
|Yutaka Sada|reporter
|Nadao Kirino|Tokyo Defense Headquarters Officer
|Nadao Kirino|Tokyo Defense Headquarters officer
|Koji Uno|Tokyo Defense Headquarters Officer
|Koji Uno|Tokyo Defense Headquarters officer
|Seiji Yoshida|''Kasagi Maru'' sailor
|Seiji Yoshida|''Kasagi Maru'' sailor
|Toshihiko Furuta|Helicopter crew
|Toshihiko Furuta|helicopter crew
|Kyoko Mori|Childcare worker at daycare
|Kyoko Mori|childcare worker at the daycare
|Teruko Mita|Izawa, teacher at daycare
|Teruko Mita|Izawa, teacher at the daycare
|Jiro Kumagai|Minister of Health and Welfare
|Jiro Kumagai|Minister of Health and Welfare
|Soji Ubukata|Minister of Education
|Soji Ubukata|Minister of Education
|Shiro Tsuchiya|Minister of Justice
|Shiro Tsuchiya|Minister of Justice
|Keiichiro Katsumoto|Neighbor
|Keiichiro Katsumoto|neighbor
|Naoya Kusakawa|Helicopter crew
|Naoya Kusakawa|helicopter crew
|Wataru Omae|''Kasagi Maru'' officer
|Wataru Omae|''Kasagi Maru'' officer
|Yoshio Katsube|Reporter
|Yoshio Katsube|reporter
|[[Masaki Shinohara]]|Tokyo Defense Headquarters worker
|[[Masaki Shinohara]]|Tokyo Defense Headquarters worker
|Yutaka Oka|Tokyo Defense Headquarters worker
|Yutaka Oka|Tokyo Defense Headquarters worker
|[[Koji Uruki]]|Mailman
|[[Koji Uruki]]|mailman
|Koji Abe|Ichiro Tamura, Mochiki's son
|Koji Abe|Ichiro Tamura, Mochiki's son
|Yuko Tominaga|Haru Tamura, Mochiki's daughter
|Yuko Tominaga|Haru Tamura, Mochiki's daughter
|Yuki Shimizu|Female clerk at Sankamashi Electric company
|Yuki Shimizu|female clerk at Sankamashi Electric company
|Tsurue Ichimanji|Neighbor B
|Toshiko Nakano|neighbor A
|Toshiko Nakano|Neighbor A
{{col-2}}
|Tsurue Ichimanji|neighbor B
*Asami Hotaka
*Asami Hotaka
}}
|Howard Larson|Federal Army staff officer
{{col-2}}
|Ed Keane|Allied Army commander
{{Cast
|Bernard Barre|Allied Army maintenance officer
|Howard Larson|Federal Army Staff Officer
*Cliff Harrington
|Ed Keene|Allied Army Commander
|Bernard Barre|Allied Army Maintenance Officer
*Cliff Harrington (as Clifford Harsonton)
|Hank Brown|Federal Army First Lieutenant Mark
|Hank Brown|Federal Army First Lieutenant Mark
*Daniel Jones
*Daniel Jones
Line 104: Line 111:
*Mike Snape
*Mike Snape
*Roy Lessard
*Roy Lessard
|Hans Horneff|Allied Army Missile Base Commander
|Hans Horneff|Allied Army missile base commander
|[[Harold Conway]]|Federal Army Missile Base Commander
|[[Harold Conway]]|Federal Army missile base commander
|[[Osman Yusuf]]|Allied Army Correspondent
|[[Osman Yusuf]]|Allied Army correspondent
|Yasuo Araki, Toku Ihara, Tadashi Okabe, Jun Kuroki, Hideo Shibuya, Shigemi Sunagawa, Wajiro Suzukawa, Satoru Shin'no, [[Bin Furuya]]|''Kasagi Maru'' sailors (uncredited)
|Yasuo Araki, Toku Ihara, Tadashi Okabe, Jun Kuroki, Hideo Shibuya, Shigemi Sunagawa, Wajiro Suzukawa, Satoru Shinno, [[Bin Furuya]]|''Kasagi Maru'' sailors (uncredited)
|Kuniyoshi Kashima|''Kasagi Maru'' helmsman (uncredited)
|Kuniyoshi Kashima|''Kasagi Maru'' helmsman (uncredited)
|Minoru Ito, Hideo Otsuka, Saburo Kadowaki, Eisuke Nakanishi|Tokyo Defense Headquarters workers (uncredited)
|Minoru Ito, Hideo Otsuka, Saburo Kadowaki, Eisuke Nakanishi|Tokyo Defense Headquarters workers (uncredited)
|Ken Echigo, [[Hiroshi Sekita]], Masanari Nihei|Singers on TV (uncredited)
|Ken Echigo, [[Hiroshi Sekita]], Masanari Nihei|singers on TV (uncredited)
|Tokio Okawa, Masayoshi Kawabe, Ikuo Kawamura, Akio Kusama, Eizaburo Komatsu|Tokyo Press Club drivers (uncredited)
|[[Tokio Okawa]], Masayoshi Kawabe, Ikuo Kawamura, Akio Kusama, Eizaburo Komatsu|Tokyo Press Club drivers (uncredited)
|Kamayuki Tsubono|Tokyo Press Club driver / reporter (uncredited)
|Kamayuki Tsubono|Tokyo Press Club driver / reporter (uncredited)
|Hiroshi Akitsu|Reporter (uncredited)
|Hiroshi Akitsu|reporter (uncredited)
|Hakuyoji Watanabe|Station worker (uncredited)
|Hakuyoji Watanabe|station worker (uncredited)
|[[Haruo Suzuki]]|Securities trading company employee / Tokyo Defense Headquarters officer (uncredited)
|[[Haruo Suzuki]]|Daisho Securities employee / Tokyo Defense Headquarters officer (uncredited)
|Kazuo Hinata|Government official (uncredited)
|Kazuo Hinata|government official (uncredited)
|Akira Kitchoji|Minister of Finance (uncredited)
|Akira Kitchoji|Minister of Finance (uncredited)
|Junpei Natsuki|Father coming to pick up his child (uncredited)
|Junpei Natsuki|father coming to pick up his child (uncredited)
|Takuya Yuki|Father coming to pick up his child / Tokyo Defense Headquarters worker (uncredited)
|Takuya Yuki|father coming to pick up his child / Tokyo Defense Headquarters worker (uncredited)
|Yoshie Kihara, Sachiko Mori|Mothers coming to pick up their children (uncredited)
|Yoshie Kihara, Sachiko Mori|mothers coming to pick up their children (uncredited)
|Masaaki Tachibana|Tour guide / reporter (uncredited)
|Masaaki Tachibana|tour guide / reporter (uncredited)
|[[Haruo Nakajima]]|Policeman guiding evacuation (uncredited)
|[[Haruo Nakajima]]|policeman guiding evacuation (uncredited)
|Ryutaro Amami|Sankamashi Electric company employee / reporter / [[National Diet Building]] security guard (uncredited)
|Ryutaro Amami|Sankamashi Electric company employee / reporter / [[National Diet Building]] security guard (uncredited)
|Masahide Matsushita|Securities trading company customer / station worker (uncredited)
|Masahide Matsushita|Daisho Securities customer / station worker (uncredited)
|Saburo Iketani|Announcer (uncredited)
|Saburo Iketani|announcer (uncredited)
|Akijiro Hikari|Sankamashi Electric company employee (uncredited)
|Akijiro Hikari|Migame Shoji employee (uncredited)
|Shigeo Suzuki|Helicopter pilot (uncredited)
|Shigeo Suzuki|helicopter pilot (uncredited)
|Ichiro Chiba|Evacuating man (uncredited)
|Ichiro Chiba|evacuating man (uncredited)
|Enver Altenbay|Allied Army reconnaissance crew (uncredited)
|Enver Altenbay|Allied Army reconnaissance crew (uncredited)
|Rolf Jayser|Allied Army officer (uncredited)
|[[Ralph Jesser]]|Allied Army officer (uncredited)
|Cump Cubens|Allied Army engineer (uncredited)
|Cump Cubens|Allied Army engineer (uncredited)
|Leonard Stanford|Federal Army Staff Officer (uncredited)
|Leonard Stanford|Federal Army staff officer (uncredited)
}}
}}
{{col-end}}
{{col-end}}
 
===Frontier Enterprises English dub===
*Tom Korzeniowski<ref name="Homenick">{{Cite web|url=https://sidelongglancesofapigeonkicker.blogspot.com/2012/08/g-fest-xix.html?m=1|title=G-FEST XIX|first=Brett|last=Homenick|work=Sidelong Glances of a Pigeon Kicker|date=2 August 2012}}</ref>
===[[United States]] English dub===
{{Cast|notice=no
|[[wikipedia:Marvin Miller (actor)|Marvin Miller]]|all male roles<ref name="Noe 14">{{harvnb|Noe|1964|page=14}}</ref>
|[[wikipedia:Virginia Gregg|Virginia Gregg]]|all female and child roles{{citation needed}}
}}
==Appearances==
==Appearances==
===Weapons, Vehicles, and Races===
===Weapons, vehicles, and organizations===
*Federation
*Federation
**[[wikipedia:McDonnell F-101 Voodoo|McDonnell F-101 Voodoo]]
**[[wikipedia:McDonnell F-101 Voodoo|McDonnell F-101 Voodoo]]
Line 149: Line 162:
**Allied Attack Submarine
**Allied Attack Submarine
==Production==
==Production==
For the scenes depicting the destruction of [[Tokyo]], [[Paris]], [[Moscow]], [[New York]], and [[London]], [[Eiji Tsuburaya]] suggested creating miniatures out of paraffin, before it was suggested to use wafers. In a 1996 interview, miniature builder Yoshio Irie recalled, "Since the destruction of the world's cities was going to be such a crucial element of [''The Last War''], we tried to find a substance that would produce especially convincing results when blown up. We experimented with many different materials, but found that wafers worked best. Unfortunately, we also found that mice liked to eat the wafers."<ref name="ETMoMonsters">{{Cite book|title=[[Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters]]|date=6 May [[2014]]|author=August Ragone|publisher=Chronicle Books LLC|page=65|isbn=1452135398}}</ref> In order to combat the issue of mice eating the wafers, several of the miniatures were hung and filmed upside down, which made them look like they were being blasted high into the air in the finished film .<ref name="ETMoMonsters"/>
For the scenes depicting the destruction of [[Tokyo]], [[Paris]], [[Moscow]], [[New York City]], and [[London]], [[Eiji Tsuburaya]] suggested creating miniatures out of paraffin, before it was decided to use wafers. In a 1996 interview, miniature builder [[Yoshio Irie]] recalled, "Since the destruction of the world's cities was going to be such a crucial element of [''The Last War''], we tried to find a substance that would produce especially convincing results when blown up. We experimented with many different materials, but found that wafers worked best. Unfortunately, we also found that mice liked to eat the wafers."<ref name="ETMoMonsters">{{harvnb|Ragone|2014|page=65}}</ref> In order to deter the rodents, several of the miniatures were hung and filmed upside down, which had the added effect of making them appear to be blasted high into the air.{{R|ETMoMonsters}}
==Gallery==
==Gallery==
{{Main|The Last War/Gallery}}
{{Main|The Last War/Gallery}}
==Soundtrack==
==Soundtrack==
{{Main|The Last War (Soundtrack)}}
{{Main|The Last War/Soundtrack}}
==Alternate Titles==
==Alternate titles==
*'''''World War III: The Day of Tokyo's End''''' {{Nihongo|第三次世界大戦 東京最後の日|Daisanjisekaitaisen Tōkyō Saigo no Hi|early Japanese title}}<ref name="TSEMCWorks"/>
*'''''World War III: Tokyo's Last Day''''' {{Nihongo|第三次世界大戦 東京最後の日|Daisanji Sekai Taisen: Tōkyō Saigo no Hi|early Japanese title}}{{sfn|Asai|2012|p=60}}
*'''''The Last War''''' (''La Guerra Final''; [[Mexico]])
**{{Nihongo|㐧三次世界大戦 東京最後の日|Daisanji Sekai Taisen|alternate spelling}}{{sfn|Suzuki|2012|p=60}}
*'''''The Last War''''' (''L'ultima guerra'', Italy)
*'''''The Last War?''''' (Hong Kong publicity materials)
*'''''Death-Rays from Outer Space''''' (''Todesstrahlen aus dem Weltall''; Germany)
*'''''The Final War''''' (''La Guerra Final''; [[Mexico]])
*'''''Last War''''' (''L'ultima guerra'', Italy)
*'''''Death-Rays from Outer Space''''' (''Todesstrahlen aus dem Weltall''; West Germany)
*'''''The Last War of the Apocalypse''''' (''La Dernière Guerre de l'Apocalypse''; [[France]])
*'''''The Last War of the Apocalypse''''' (''La Dernière Guerre de l'Apocalypse''; [[France]])
==Theatrical Releases==
*'''''The Last Day of the World''''' (''O Último Dia do Mundo''; Brazil)
*[[Japan]] - October 8, [[1961]]
==Theatrical releases==
==[[United States|U.S.]] Release==
{{All Posters}}
''The Last War'' was acquired for distribution in the [[United States]] in 1964 by Brenco Pictures, who was also responsible for the localizations of ''[[The Human Vapor]]'' and ''[[Gorath (film)|Gorath]]''. Brenco dubbed the film into English and edited it down to a runtime of 79 minutes, an entire 31 minutes shorter than the Japanese version. Brenco had planned to release the film to theaters as late as 1967, even preparing trailers for it, but the company shut down before it could do so. Brenco's distribution rights and assets were later acquired by Heritage Enterprises, who entered the film into U.S. television syndication. Video Gems released Brenco's edited version of the film to VHS in [[1985]], which remains the only official release of the film in the United States to this day.
*[[Japan]] - October 8, [[1961]]{{Popup-poster|file=The Last War Poster 1.jpg|caption=Japanese poster}}
*[[United States]] - December 29, [[1961]] (sneak preview, Honolulu) / January 3, [[1962]] (premiere, Honolulu) / November 13, [[1968]]
*[[Hong Kong]] - March 15, [[1962]] / June 14, [[1962]] (4-track stereo)
*[[Singapore]] - November 17, [[1962]]
*[[India]] - November 28, [[1962]]
*[[Mexico]] - September 5, [[1963]]{{Popup-poster|file=Mexicolastwar.jpg|caption=Spanish poster}}
*West Germany - [[1977]]


The film was restructured to be told in flashback by Takano, during the ''Kasagi Maru'''s doomed return voyage to Tokyo, a narrative technique also used for Brenco's version of ''The Human Vapor'' and many other previous Americanizations. A limited voice cast was used, with actor Marvin Miller providing the voice of Takano, and most, if not all of the male characters both on and off-screen. Several subplots were removed, namely the entire character of Watkins and his interactions with the Tamura family, Mokichi at his job at the press center and his investments in the stock market, Prime Minister Masaki's poor health condition, and casual discussion between the staff at the Federal Army Missile Base. Japanese customs that would appear unfamiliar to U.S. audiences, such as Children's Day, were given mild exposition in the narration by Tanako. Many scenes that were left silent in Toho's version were scored with repeats of other cues from the soundtrack, most often the main title cue. The song that the children at Sanae's daycare sing, the Japanese folk song ''New Year's Day'', was replaced with the Sherman Brothers' ''It's a Small World''. An excerpt of a speech by former U.S. president John F. Kennedy, was used as an analogue for the ending text in Toho's version.
==Foreign releases==
[[File:SCMP_19_June_1962_p4.png|200px|thumb|left|Hong Kong ad for an English-dubbed showing of ''The Last War'' in the ''South China Morning Post'' (June 19, 1962)]]
On October 10, 1961, just two days after its Japanese premiere, an [[wikipedia:Associated Press|Associated Press]] story on ''The Last War'' appeared in American newspapers, vividly describing the film's climax and reporting that Toho was looking to show the film in the United States, Europe and the Soviet Union.{{sfn|Roderick|1961|p=16}} Despite this, ''The Last War'' received very little known theatrical distribution outside of East and South Asia and no wide theatrical release in the United States.  


==Box Office==
An uncut English-language international dub was commissioned by Toho{{sfn|Toho|c. 1962|page=82}} and realized by [[William Ross]]'s Tokyo-based Frontier Enterprises.{{R|Homenick}} The dub received its first known public screenings in Hong Kong starting March 15, 1962 at the Queen's, State and Royal Theatres,<ref>{{harvnb|''South China Morning Post''|1962a|p=4}}: "IN ENGLISH DIALOGUE"</ref> before being brought back that June at the Liberty Theatre with 4-track stereophonic sound,<ref>{{harvnb|''South China Morning Post''|1962b|p=5}}: "–TO-MORROW– "The Last War?" English Version ● TohoScope Eastman Color"</ref><ref>{{harvnb|''South China Morning Post''|1962c|p=4}}: "In Added Wonder of 4-Track Stereophonic Sound"</ref> the same as the original Japanese release. In her March 16 review of the film for the ''South China Morning Post'', Jean Gordon states that Frankie Sakai's character is a chauffeur of the "American Press Club," possibly elucidating a difference in the Frontier dub's writing. She goes on to say that "the Japanese actors employed in the principal parts handle their roles with such skill that the English-American dubbing can be accepted without too much incredulity."{{sfn|''Gordon''|1962d|p=4}} Frontier's dub was then shown in Singapore at the Capitol Theatre starting November 17 of the same year.{{sfn|''The Straits Times''|1962|p=4}}
''The Last War'' grossed ¥284,900,000 during its [[1961]] theatrical run, making it [[Toho]]'s second-highest grossing film of the year and the ninth-highest grossing Japanese film of the year.<ref name="Box Office"/><ref name="Galbraith 2008">{{cite book|author=Galbraith IV, Stuart|title=The Toho Studios Story: A History and Complete Filmography|date=2008|publisher=Scarecrow Press|page=186|isbn=1461673747}}</ref>
 
==Video Releases==
On November 28, 1962, the international English dub had its Indian premiere at the Excelsior Theatre in [[wikipedia:Mumbai|Bombay]]. A newspaper ad from that day highlighted the attendance of the city's mayor Dr. N. N. Shah and featured an enthusiastic recommendation by then-current (and first post-independence) Prime Minister [[wikipedia:Jawaharlal Nehru|Jawaharlal Nehru]].<ref>{{harvnb|''The Times of India''|1962a|p=3}}: "THE LAST WAR is a unique pictorial record that dares to reveal in shocking detail as to what will happen to the world if a nuclear war breaks out. It will be the last war of the world, marking the complete annihilation of mankind! – Jawaharlal Nehru"</ref> The initial Bombay release was a monumental six-week run at the Excelsior followed by a two-week run at the Aurora Theatre.{{sfn|''The Times of India''|1963a|p=2}}<ref>{{harvnb|''The Times of India''|1963b|p=3}}: "8th and Final Week!"</ref> ''The Times of India'' boasted the Excelsior run as being "destined to break all records in Bombay" in its second week.<ref>{{harvnb|''The Times of India''|1962b|p=2}}: "2nd Week! Destined to break all records in Bombay! A truly unique picture specially recommended by the Prime Minister"</ref> ''The Last War'' was followed by the import of numerous other Toho films to India, with newspaper ads continuing to recall Toho as the "makers of ''The Last War''" and the company "who gave you ''The Last War''" years later.<ref>{{harvnb|''The Times of India''|1964a|p=2}}: "TOHO FILMS, Makers of "The Last War" now present THE THREE TREASURES"</ref><ref>{{harvnb|''The Times of India''|1964b|p=2}}: "Another Masterpiece from the Makers of "THE LAST WAR""</ref><ref>{{harvnb|''The Times of India''|1965|p=3}}: "Toho Co. who gave you 'The Last War' 'Tokyo by Night, Interpol Code 8' [sic] 'High & Low' now presents its fantastic and Action-packed Science-fiction drama SPACE MONSTER DOGORA"</ref> The last known screening of the Frontier dub occurred at the Super Cinema in Bombay on February 2, 1969.<ref>{{harvnb|''The Times of India''|1969|p=3}}: "Today 12 Noon! Tomorrow 9-30 a.m."</ref>
 
Though the mono version of the unique trailer made for Toho's international English dub has been included on Japanese home video releases, the actual dub has yet to be released in the United States or appear on any home video format anywhere in the world in either of its mono or 4-track stereo versions.
===[[United States|U.S.]] release===
[[File:Bakersfield-Californian-November,13-1968-p-15.jpeg|right|thumb|200px|Drive-in ad for ''The Last War'' in ''The Bakersfield Californian'' (November 13, 1968)]]
On October 17, [[1961]], Toho offered ''The Last War''{{'}}s [[United States|U.S.]] distribution rights up for bid, with ''Variety'' reporting that Toho had "dropped [the] idea of doing its own distribution." [[wikipedia:Columbia Pictures|Columbia]] and [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]] were among the interested parties.{{sfn|Variety|1961|page=15}} In November of that year, ''Pacific Stars and Stripes'' reported that MGM was due to release the film sometime in March [[1962]],{{sfn|Ricketts|1961|page=11}} but this never materialized. ''The Last War''{{'}}s earliest showings in the United States actually occurred in international theaters in Honolulu, Hawaii, presented in Japanese with English subtitles. The Nippon Theatre first showed it in a special preview on December 29, 1961, with regular showings scheduled to begin on January 3, 1962.<ref name="Honolulu">{{harvnb|Gima|1961|p=17}}<br>[[File:The Last War Honolulu_Star_Bulletin_Thu__Dec_28__1961_.jpg|150px]]</ref> En route to the continental U.S., star [[Frankie Sakai]] visited Honolulu for five days and made a special appearance at a showing at the Nippon.<ref name="Honolulu1b">{{harvnb|''The Honolulu Advertiser''|1962<!--|page=-->}}<br>[[File:The Last War The Honolulu Advertiser Sat Jan 6 1962.png|150px]]</ref> The film also played at Honolulu's Queen Theater in May 1962.<ref name="Honolulu2">{{harvnb|Ito|1962|p=B-4}}<br>[[File:The Last War The Honolulu Advertiser Mon May 7 1962 .jpg|150px]]</ref>
 
While the film was originally released in Japan with overture music, the English-subtitled print shown in Honolulu used this music to underscore a "preface" presented through rolling titles, as mentioned in a review in ''The Honolulu Advertiser''.<ref>{{harvnb|Carlson|1962|p=10}}: "IN A PREFACE, the movie-makers declare their neutrality in the Cold War. They say they "are inimical to no one," but simply interested in serving the cause of world peace."</ref> The text in this preface appeared earlier in a fold-out as part of an extensive multi-page trade ad taken out by Toho in the October 23, 1961 issue of ''Boxoffice'' magazine, where it was attributed to then-current Toho president Masashi Shimizu.{{sfn|Shlyen|1961|pp=2-6}} This preface was likely carried over to the international English-dubbed version, as its text is referenced in Jean Gordon's March 1962 column in the ''South China Morning Post'' covering recent film releases.<ref>{{harvnb|''Gordon''|1962e|p=4}}: "It is a Japanese film and the producers make the point that the Japanese people are in a special position to appeal to the world to work for peace."</ref> The preface is shown before the Toho logo on home video presentations of the film's international trailer.<ref name="international trailer">{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpsgTbUum30|title=The Last War (1961) - International English Trailer (480p)|author=SpaceHunterM|date=8 December 2016|work=YouTube}}</ref>
 
Brenco Pictures Corporation, the foreign importing firm of producers Stanley Meyer and [[wikipedia:Edward L. Alperson|Edward L. Alperson]],<ref>{{harvnb|Dutra|1962|p=18}}: ""Irma La Douce" [...] also will be included as part of the Alperson-Meyer production unit. In the deal made with Wallace, Alperson and Meyer offered the author a participation in the world gross of the film, [...] plus a stock participation deal in their foreign import company, Brenco Pictures Corp."</ref> ultimately acquired ''The Last War'' for distribution in the United States. Meyer, who either rejected or was not supplied with the film's international English dub,{{sfn|Carrozza|2021|page=108}} saw a new dub recorded for Brenco similarly to the company's releases of ''[[The Human Vapor]]'' and ''[[Gorath (film)|Gorath]]''. Reports in ''The Hollywood Reporter'' and ''Variety'' throughout 1962 illustrate a timeline in which Meyer started dubbing a Japanese film in June 1962,{{sfn|Connolly|1962a|page=2}} bought and started dubbing a second Japanese film that October,{{sfn|Connolly|1962b|page=2}} and then accompanied Alperson to meet with film executives in Tokyo in November,{{sfn|Variety|1962|page=16}} presumably to strike a deal for a third Japanese film. Though there is seemingly no mention of Meyer dubbing a third Japanese film in trade magazines from that year or the next, the presence of stock footage inserts and music from ''The Last War'' in Brenco's cut of ''Gorath'' demonstrates that ''The Last War'' could not have been acquired after the completion of editing on ''Gorath''.
 
Although a sample newspaper article in Brenco's pressbook for ''The Human Vapor'' states that "audiences will be able to see more of Mr. Tsuburaya's work in the forthcoming ''[[Gorath (film)|ASTRONAUT 1980]]'' and ''THE LAST WAR'',"{{sfn|Brenco|1964|p=10}} the latter film was evidently delayed, possibly due to the underwhelming box office performance of ''Gorath'' as part of a package with ''The Human Vapor'' starting in May 1964.<ref>{{harvnb|''Boxoffice''|1964b|p=W-2}}: "Los Angeles – Gorath (Brenco) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65"</ref><ref>{{harvnb|''Boxoffice''|1964a|p=10}}: "Computation is in terms of percentage in relation to normal grosses as determined by the theatre managers. With 100 per cent as "normal," the figures show the gross rating above or below that mark."</ref> By late November 1964, Meyer had signed prolific voice actor [[wikipedia:Marvin Miller (actor)|Marvin Miller]] on to the project, originally to dub two leads. Meyer then challenged Miller to dub all 51 male speaking roles (a record at the time).{{R|Noe 14}} Like Meyer's English dubs of ''The Human Vapor'' and ''Gorath'', future music editor and composer [[wikipedia:Kenneth Wannberg|Kenneth Wannberg]] was hired to edit the film. Thirty-one minutes were removed in total (29 minutes not counting the overture/preface).
 
Brenco's cut restructured the film to be told in flashback by Takano during the ''Kasagi Maru''{{'}}s doomed return voyage to [[Tokyo]], a narrative technique also employed in Meyer and Wannberg's edit of ''The Human Vapor'' and many other previous Americanizations of [[Toho]] films. Several subplots were removed, namely the entire character of Watkins and his interactions with the Tamura family, Mokichi at his job at the press center and his investments in the stock market, Prime Minister Masaki's poor health condition, and casual discussion between the staff at the Federal Army Missile Base. Japanese customs that would seem unfamiliar to U.S. audiences, such as [[wikipedia:Children's Day (Japan)|Children's Day]], were given mild exposition in the narration by Takano. Many scenes that were left silent in Toho's version were scored with repeats of other cues from the soundtrack, most often the main title cue. The Japanese folk song "New Year's Day," sung by the children at Sanae's daycare, was replaced with the [[wikipedia:Sherman Brothers|Sherman Brothers]]' song "[[wikipedia:It's a Small World#Song|It's a Small World]]." An excerpt of former U.S. President [[wikipedia:John F. Kennedy|John F. Kennedy]]'s September 25, 1961 address to the United Nations General Assembly<ref>{{cite web|title=Address Before The United Nations General Assembly, 25 September 1961|url=https://www.jfklibrary.org/asset-viewer/archives/JFKWHA/1961/JFKWHA-050/JFKWHA-050|work=John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum|accessdate=4 October 2023}}</ref> was used as an analogue for the ending text in Toho's version.
 
Despite Brenco's preparations taking place years earlier, its version of ''The Last War'' is not known to have been seen until November 1968, when it was shown at the Edison Drive-In theater in Bakersfield, California. It headlined a triple feature with ''[[wikipedia:The Violent Ones|The Violent Ones]]'' (1967) and ''[[wikipedia:Night Caller from Outer Space|Blood Beast from Outer Space]]'' (1965), which was shown from November 13-19.{{sfn|''The Los Angeles Times''|1968|page=85}} No other theatrical screenings have yet been identified. Brenco's distribution rights for ''The Last War'' had been transferred to Heritage Enterprises by [[1972]], when the two companies filed a joint copyright on it and multiple other Brenco releases.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://publicrecords.copyright.gov/detailed-record/1746326|title=The Human vapor & 5 other titles.|work=U.S. Copyright Public Records System|accessdate=2 October 2023}}</ref> Heritage entered a cropped 4:3 version of the Brenco version into U.S. television syndication as part of their "Eerie Series" package,{{sfn|Broadcasting|1975|p=46}}{{sfn|Broadcasting|1976|p=93}} with the earliest known TV listings appearing in [[1975]]. TV listings over the years mostly attributed the year 1968 to the film,{{sfn|''The Times''|1976|page=28}} but the earliest listings often used 1965,{{sfn|''Daily Press''|1975|page=177}} which may have been the year of completion of Brenco's version. Heritage evidently repurposed Brenco's 60-second TV spot as a TV trailer. A 4:3 source of a longer, theatrical-length trailer featuring an alternate assemblage of much of the same sound and picture materials exists, and is likely to be Brenco's theatrical trailer; it is not known what purpose this 4:3 version was used for.
 
Video Gems released Brenco's edited version of the film to VHS and Betamax in [[1985]],{{sfn|Furtaw|1992|p=1459}} which remain the only official home video releases of the film in the United States to this day. The film elements, along with streaming and home video rights, currently rest with MGM through the Brenco films' inclusion in the Samuel Goldwyn film library.<ref name="GaryT">{{cite web|url=https://www.tohokingdom.com/forum/viewtopic.php?style=32&p=1747748&sid=d58dc18d5084384bac08bf7b4111b71b#p1747748|title=Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors|author=heiseigodzilla425|date=3 June 2020|work=[[Toho Kingdom]]}}</ref>
 
==Box office==
''The Last War'' earned ¥284.99 million in [[wikipedia:Box office#Distributor rentals|distributor rentals]] during its [[1961]] theatrical run, making it [[Toho]]'s third-highest-earning film of the year and the tenth-highest-earning Japanese film of the year.{{R|Box Office}}
 
==Technical specifications==
'''Japanese version''' (1961)
*'''Shooting format''': 35mm color negative (anamorphic)
*'''Lab work''': [[IMAGICA GROUP|Far East Laboratory]]
*'''Distribution format''': 35mm color print (anamorphic)
*'''Aspect ratio''': 2.35:1
*'''Audio format''': Optical mono, Perspecta (optical mono encoded as 3.0), magnetic stereo (4.0)
*'''Spoken language''': Japanese, English
*'''On-screen language''': Japanese (credits, subtitles, expository text)
*'''Lab reel count''': 8 reels
*'''Footage count''': 9,879 feet (3,011 meters)
*'''Notes''': Contains overture.
 
'''International version''' (ca. 1961-1962)
*'''Printed format''': 35mm color print (anamorphic)
*'''Aspect ratio''': 2.35:1
*'''Audio format''': Optical mono, magnetic stereo (4.0)
*'''Spoken language''': English
*'''On-screen language''': English (expository text)
*'''Notes''': Overture music supplied with visuals in the form of rolling titles prefacing the film.
 
==Video releases==
'''Video Gems''' VHS/Betamax (1985)
*'''Region''': NTSC
*'''Tapes''': 1
*'''Audio:''' English (Mono)
 
'''Toho''' LaserDisc (September 21, 1987)
*'''Region''': NTSC
*'''Discs''': 1 (CLV, 2 sides)
*'''Audio:''' Japanese (Mono)
*'''Special features:''' black and white insert
<gallery widths="90" position="center" captionalign="center" spacing="small">
The Last War '87 LD front.jpg|Front cover
The Last War '87 LD back.jpg|Back cover
</gallery>
'''Toho''' VHS (1991)
*'''Region''': NTSC
*'''Tapes''': 1
*'''Audio:''' Japanese (Mono)
 
'''Toho''' LaserDisc (1996)
*'''Region''': NTSC
*'''Discs''': 1 (CLV, 2 sides)
*'''Audio:''' Japanese (Stereo)
*'''Special features:''' Export trailer, 4-page color insert, 2-page color insert
<gallery widths="90" position="center" captionalign="center" spacing="small">
The Last War '96 LD front.jpg|Front cover
The Last War '96 LD back.jpg|Back cover
</gallery>
'''Toho''' DVD (December 23, 2004)
*'''Region:''' 2
*'''Discs:''' 1
*'''Audio:''' Japanese (Mono, 4.0 Surround)
*'''Subtitles:''' Japanese
*'''Special features:''' Audio commentary by Shue Matsubayashi, export trailer, gallery of stills and the theatrical pamphlet, 8-page booklet
*'''Notes:''' Re-released on July 15, 2015 as part of the Toho DVD Masterpiece Selection.
 
'''DeAgostini Japan''' DVD (April 26, 2011)
*'''Region:''' 2
*'''Discs:''' 1
*'''Audio:''' Japanese
*'''Subtitles:''' None
*'''Special features:''' Booklet
 
Though ''The Last War'' is not available on Blu-ray, an HD version of the film can be rented or purchased on the [[Japan]]ese version of Prime Video.
==Videos==
==Videos==
{{Videos|
{{Videos|
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">1xo94uOXymw</youtube>|''The Last War'' Japanese trailer (reconstruction)}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">1xo94uOXymw</youtube>|Japanese trailer (reconstruction)}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">CpsgTbUum30</youtube>|''The Last War'' international trailer}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">CpsgTbUum30</youtube>|International trailer}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">UVfolYTxHQw</youtube>|''The Last War'' textless international trailer}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">UVfolYTxHQw</youtube>|Textless international trailer}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">W4gOELsq2Y8</youtube>|''The Last War'' American TV trailer}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">W4gOELsq2Y8</youtube>|U.S. theatrical trailer (4:3 version)}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">Tg7ESbeu0TA</youtube>|''The Last War'' American TV spot}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">BSAnbgZpmwI</youtube>|U.S. 60-second TV trailer}}
}}
}}
==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*A portion of a scene involving the Tamura family in the process of being filmed was featured in ''Cheers, Mr. Awamori!'', which was released simultaneously as ''The Last War'''s co-feature.
*A portion of a scene involving the Tamura family in the process of being filmed was featured in ''Cheers, Mr. Awamori!'', which was released simultaneously with ''The Last War'' as a double feature in Japan.
*Stock footage from ''The Last War'', particularly from the film's climax, was used in many subsequent films, including ''[[Godzilla vs. Gigan]]'', ''[[Prophecies of Nostradamus]]'', ''[[Godzilla vs. Destoroyah]]'', and even the final episode of the show ''[[wikia:c:ultra:Ultraseven (series)|Ultraseven]]''.
*Stock footage from ''The Last War'', particularly from the film's climax, was used in many subsequent Toho films, including ''[[Frankenstein vs. Baragon]]'' (1965), ''[[Godzilla vs. Gigan]]'' (1972), ''[[Prophecies of Nostradamus]]'' (1974), ''[[The War in Space]]'' (1977), ''[[The Return of Godzilla]]'' (1984), and ''[[Godzilla vs. Destoroyah]]'' (1995), as well as the final episode of the [[Tsuburaya Productions]] series ''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultraseven (series)|Ultraseven]]'' in 1968.
==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Kaiju Movies}}
===Bibliography===
{{Col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
*{{Cite book|title=[[Complete History of Toho Special Effects Films]]|others=Supervised by [[Tomoyuki Tanaka]]|publisher=[[Toho]]|date=10 December 1983|isbn=4-924609-00-5|ref={{harvid|Tanaka|1983}}}}
*{{cite book|title=The Complete 85-Installment History of Kinema Junpo's Best Ten: 1924-2011|editor-first=Shinya|editor-last=Aoki|date=23 May 2012|publisher=Kinema Junpo|isbn=978-4873767550}}
*{{Cite magazine|title=NOE NEWS IS SHOW NEWS|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/701908841/|url-access=subscription|magazine=The Van Nuys News and Valley Green Sheet|volume=54|number=77|first=Irving|last=Noe|date=24 November 1964|via=Newspapers.com}}
*{{Cite book|title=[[Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters]]|edition=paperback|date=6 May 2014|first=August|last=Ragone|author-link=August Ragone|publisher=Chronicle Books LLC|isbn=1452135398}}
*{{cite book|title=[[Toho Special Effects Movie Complete Works]]|editor-first=Eugene|editor-last=Ishikawa|editor-first2=Yutaro|editor-last2=Hirai|date=28 September 2012|publisher=[[villagebooks]]|isbn=4-864-91013-8}}
**{{harvc|first=Kazuyasu|last=Asai|year=2012|contribution=''World War III: Tokyo's Last Day'' (2nd draft 1960), ''The Last War'' (final draft 1961)|in=Ishikawa|in2=Hirai|p=60}}
**{{harvc|first=Yoshitaka|last=Suzuki|year=2012|contribution=Secret Shooting Stories: Special Edition - The Lost Project ''World War III''|in=Ishikawa|in2=Hirai|p=60}}
*{{Cite magazine|title=Gripping Jap Movie Depicts Horrors of A-War Outbreak|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/60719083/|url-access=subscription|magazine=The Bridgeport Post|number=237|first=John|last=Roderick|date=10 October 1961|via=Newspapers.com}}
*{{Cite book|title=Toho Films 1962|chapter=FILMS COMPLETELY DUBBED IN ENGLISH|date=c. 1962|publisher=[[Toho]]|ref={{harvid|Toho|c. 1962}}}}
*{{Cite book|title=South China Morning Post|url=https://www.proquest.com/hnpsouthchinamorningpost/docview/1538852279/|url-access=subscription|date=15 March 1962|via=ProQuest|ref={{harvid|''South China Morning Post''|1962a}}}}
*{{Cite book|title=South China Morning Post|url=https://www.proquest.com/hnpsouthchinamorningpost/docview/1533380127/|url-access=subscription|date=13 June 1962|via=ProQuest|ref={{harvid|''South China Morning Post''|1962b}}}}
*{{Cite book|title=South China Morning Post|url=https://www.proquest.com/hnpsouthchinamorningpost/docview/1533380166/|url-access=subscription|date=14 June 1962|via=ProQuest|ref={{harvid|''South China Morning Post''|1962c}}}}
*{{Cite magazine|title=Japan Offers Frightening Warning|magazine=South China Morning Post|url=https://www.proquest.com/hnpsouthchinamorningpost/docview/1533354654/|url-access=subscription|first=Jean|last=Gordon|date=16 March 1962|via=ProQuest|ref={{harvid|''Gordon''|1962d}}}}
*{{Cite book|title=The Straits Times|url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19621115-1.2.26.3?qt=%22the%20last%20war%22&q=%22the%20last%20war%22|date=15 November 1962|via=NewspapersSG|ref={{harvid|''The Straits Times''|1962}}}}
*{{Cite book|title=The Times of India|url=https://www.proquest.com/hnptimesofindia/docview/737592870/|url-access=subscription|date=28 November 1962|via=ProQuest|ref={{harvid|''The Times of India''|1962a}}}}
*{{Cite book|title=The Times of India|url=https://www.proquest.com/hnptimesofindia/docview/346870485/|url-access=subscription|date=10 January 1963|via=ProQuest|ref={{harvid|''The Times of India''|1963a}}}}
*{{Cite book|title=The Times of India|url=https://www.proquest.com/hnptimesofindia/docview/738356599/|url-access=subscription|date=19 January 1963|via=ProQuest|ref={{harvid|''The Times of India''|1963b}}}}
*{{Cite book|title=The Times of India|url=https://www.proquest.com/hnptimesofindia/docview/737593063/|url-access=subscription|date=10 December 1962|via=ProQuest|ref={{harvid|''The Times of India''|1962b}}}}
*{{Cite book|title=The Times of India|url=https://www.proquest.com/hnptimesofindia/docview/499705361/|url-access=subscription|date=21 September 1964|via=ProQuest|ref={{harvid|''The Times of India''|1964a}}}}
*{{Cite book|title=The Times of India|url=https://www.proquest.com/hnptimesofindia/docview/739004124/|url-access=subscription|date=29 September 1964|via=ProQuest|ref={{harvid|''The Times of India''|1964b}}}}
*{{Cite book|title=The Times of India|url=https://www.proquest.com/hnptimesofindia/pagepdf/347104881/|url-access=subscription|date=14 August 1965|via=ProQuest|ref={{harvid|''The Times of India''|1965}}}}
*{{Cite book|title=The Times of India|url=https://www.proquest.com/hnptimesofindia/docview/497352191/|url-access=subscription|date=1 February 1969|via=ProQuest|ref={{harvid|''The Times of India''|1969}}}}
{{col-2}}
*{{Cite magazine|title=Distrib of 'Last War' May Go to U.S. Major|url=https://archive.org/details/variety-1961-10/page/14/|magazine=Variety|volume=224|number=9|date=25 October 1961|publisher=Variety, Inc.|via=Archive.org|ref={{harvid|Variety|1961}}}}
*{{Cite magazine|title=On the Town|magazine=Pacific Stars and Stripes|first=Al|last=Ricketts|date=19 November 1961}}
*{{cite magazine|title=Film Depicts Horrors of Nuclear War|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/270257133/|url-access=subscription|first=Dick|last=Gima|magazine=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|volume=50|number=362|date=28 December 1961|via=Newspapers.com}}
*{{Cite magazine|title=It's New To Him, But He Likes It|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/259950426/|url-access=subscription|magazine=The Honolulu Advertiser|number=53592|date=6 January 1962|via=Newspapers.com|ref={{harvid|''The Honolulu Advertiser''|1962}}}}
*{{cite magazine|title=Realism Abounds In "The Last War"|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/259982516/|url-access=subscription|magazine=The Honolulu Advertiser|number=53713|first=Monte|last=Ito|date=7 May 1962|via=Newspapers.com}}
*{{Cite magazine|title='War' Film Blurs Reality|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/260043893/|url-access=subscription|magazine=The Honolulu Advertiser|first=Elliot|last=Carlson|number=53595|date=9 January 1962|via=Newspapers.com}}
*{{cite magazine|title=High Drama Keynote Of New Films|url=https://www.proquest.com/hnpsouthchinamorningpost/docview/1533352618/|url-access=subscription|magazine=South China Morning Post|first=Jean|last=Gordon|date=17 March 1962|via=Proquest|ref={{harvid|Gordon|1962e}}}}
*{{Cite book|title=Boxoffice|url=https://archive.org/details/boxofficeoctdec180boxo/page/n155/|volume=Vol. 80 no. 1|others=Editor-in-chief: Ben Shlyen|date=23 October 1961|via=Archive.org|ref={{harvid|Shlyen|1961}}}}
*{{Cite magazine|title=Hollywood Report|url=https://archive.org/details/boxofficeoctdec18182boxo/page/n553/|magazine=Boxoffice|volume=82|number=9|first=Chris|last=Dutra|date=17 December 1962|via=Archive.org}}
*{{cite book|title=SF: The Japanese Science Fiction Film Encyclopedia|first=J.L.|last=Carrozza|date=2021|publisher=Orochi Books|isbn=979-8597187921}}
*{{Cite magazine|title=RAMBLING REPORTER|url=https://www.proquest.com/eima/docview/2339758177/|url-access=subscription|magazine=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Mike|last=Connolly|date=26 June 1962|via=ProQuest|ref={{harvid|Connolly|1962a}}}}
*{{Cite magazine|title=RAMBLING REPORTER|url=https://www.proquest.com/eima/docview/2339698830/|url-access=subscription|magazine=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Mike|last=Connolly|date=18 October 1962|via=ProQuest|ref={{harvid|Connolly|1962b}}}}
*{{Cite magazine|title=International Sound Track|url=https://archive.org/details/variety-1962-11/page/n151/|magazine=Variety|volume=228|number=13|date=21 November 1962|publisher=Variety, Inc.|via=Archive.org|ref={{harvid|Variety|1962}}}}
*{{Cite book|title=Exhibitor's Campaign Book!|url=https://kaijusaurus.tumblr.com/post/122248206763/|date=1964|publisher=Brenco Pictures Corporation|via=Tumblr|ref={{harvid|Brenco|1964}}}}
*{{Cite magazine|title=BOXOFFICE BAROMETER|url=https://www.proquest.com/eima/docview/1673770209/|url-access=subscription|magazine=Boxoffice|volume=85|number=6|date=1 June 1964|via=ProQuest|ref={{harvid|''Boxoffice''|1964a}}}}
*{{Cite magazine|title='What a Way to Go!' 320 At Three LA Theatres|url=https://www.proquest.com/eima/docview/1673772249/|url-access=subscription|magazine=Boxoffice|volume=85|number=6|date=1 June 1964|via=ProQuest|ref={{harvid|''Boxoffice''|1964b}}}}
*{{Cite magazine|title=BAKERSFIELD – INYO – KERN|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/383068612/|url-access=subscription|magazine=The Los Angeles Times|volume=87|date=13 November 1968|via=Newspapers.com|ref={{harvid|''The Los Angeles Times''|1968}}}}
*{{Cite book|title=Broadcasting|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1975/1975-02-10-BC.pdf|date=10 February 1975|publisher=Broadcasting Publications Inc.|via=World Radio History|ref={{harvid|Broadcasting|1975}}}}
*{{Cite book|title=Broadcasting|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1976/1976-02-23-BC.pdf|date=23 February 1976|publisher=Broadcasting Publications Inc.|via=World Radio History|ref={{harvid|Broadcasting|1976}}}}
*{{Cite book|title=Daily Press|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/233650379/|url-access=subscription|volume=Vol. 80 no. 145|date=25 May 1975|location=Newport News, Virginia|via=Newspapers.com|ref={{harvid|''Daily Press''|1975}}}}
*{{Cite book|title=The Times|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/544569751/|url-access=subscription|volume=Vol. 49 no. 291|date=10 December 1976|location=Streator, Illinois|via=Newspapers.com|ref={{harvid|''The Times''|1976}}}}
*{{cite book|title=The Video Source Book|edition=13th|volume=Volume 1: Video Program Listings A-M|editor-last=Furtaw|editor-first=Julia C.|date=1992|publisher=Gale Research Inc.|isbn=0-8103-7757-8}}
{{col-end}}
{{Kaiju Movies|tab=Toho}}
{{Comments}}
{{Comments}}
{{Era|TOH|SHO|FIL}}
{{Era|FTD|TOH|SHO|FIL}}
[[Category:1960's Films]]
[[Category:1960's Films]]
[[Category:Films]]
[[Category:Films]]
[[Category:Showa Films]]
[[Category:Showa Films]]
[[Category:Disaster films]]
[[Category:Films dubbed by Frontier Enterprises]]
[[Category:Films dubbed into English twice]]

Latest revision as of 21:52, 25 March 2024

Article.png
Image gallery for The Last War
Credits for The Last War
The Last War soundtrack


The Last War
The Japanese poster for The Last War
Alternate titles
Flagicon Japan.png The Great World War (1961)
See alternate titles
Directed by Shue Matsubayashi
Producer Sanezumi Fujimoto, Tomoyuki Tanaka
Written by Toshio Yasumi, Takeshi Kimura
Music by Ikuma Dan
Special
effects by
Eiji Tsuburaya
Production company Toho
Distributor TohoJP, Brenco Pictures CorporationUS, Heritage EnterprisesUS TV
Rating Not Rated
Budget ¥300 million[1]
Distributor rentals ¥284.99 million[2]
Running time 110 minutesJP
(1 hour, 50 minutes)
79 minutesUS
(1 hour, 19 minutes)
Aspect ratio 2.35:1
Rate this film!
4.30
(10 votes)

The aspirations of the Japanese are in vain, for humanity's last hour has come! (日本国民の悲願も空しく 人類最後の時は来た!)
„ 

— Japanese tagline

LEARN WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF ANOTHER GLOBAL WAR BREAKS OUT!
„ 

— International tagline

THE GREATEST SPECTACULAR MOTION PICTURE OF OUR TIME!
A MOST TERRIFYING SCIENCE FICTION DRAMA!
„ 

American tagline

The Last War (世界大戦争,   Sekai Daisensō, lit. "The Great World War") is a 1961 tokusatsu science fiction drama film directed by Shue Matsubayashi and written by Toshio Yasumi and Takeshi Kimura, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced by Toho, it stars Frankie Sakai, Akira Takarada, Yuriko Hoshi, Nobuko Otawa, Yumi Shirakawa, Chishu Ryu, and Jerry Ito. The film was released to Japanese theaters by Toho on October 8, 1961, and premiered in the non-contiguous United States in Honolulu, Hawaii on January 3, 1962, following a sneak preview on December 29, 1961. Brenco Pictures Corporation produced an English-dubbed version for wider American audiences, which saw release in November 1968 at one Southern California drive-in before being picked up years later by Heritage Enterprises and sold to television.

Along with a by-then-customary Perspecta Stereophonic Sound-encoded mono track, The Last War was Toho's second film to be released in true 4-track magnetic stereo. The film's currently-unavailable international English dub was also the first that Toho released in true stereo.

Plot

In 1961, Tokyo is a bustling metropolis and Japan has recovered from the devastation of the Second World War. Mokichi Tamura works as a limousine driver at a press center where foreign reporters gather, and invests in the stock market to try and support his ill wife Oyoshi and three children. Mokichi's eldest daughter Saeko is in love with a young sailor named Takano, and the two plan to get married. Takano finally returns to Tokyo after his latest voyage and visits Ebara, the cook on his ship who could not serve on the most recent voyage due to a stomach ulcer. While recovering from his operation, Ebara has been helping his daughter Sanae run her daycare. Ebara explains to Takano that his time helping with the daycare and being around children has helped him learn to enjoy life, even at his old age. Takano then comes to the Tamuras' home to stay with them for the time being. In Saeko's room, the two discuss asking for Mokichi's consent to their marriage. Saeko has already told her mother and received her blessing, but she is worried about what her father will say. Mokichi comes upstairs and overhears the conversation, and Saeko and Takano decide to finally ask for his blessing. Mokichi is hesitant, but his wife comes upstairs and joins the conversation. She recounts how madly in love Mokichi was with her when they were married, embarrassing him. Mokichi finally gives his blessing for the marriage, and the two begin planning for their wedding.

Outside of the Tamuras' peaceful family life, global political tensions are rising. The major world powers have split into two rival camps: the Federation consisting of the United States and its allies, and the Alliance consisting of the Soviet Union and its allies. Both sides have built up their nuclear arsenals, and the eruption of armed conflict could easily lead to a global nuclear war. The Cold War escalates when a Federal submarine enters Alliance military exercise ground in the North Atlantic. As a member of the Federation, Japan is obligated to take part in a war should one erupt. Despite currently suffering from a serious illness, Japanese Prime Minister Masaki is dedicated to finding a peaceful resolution and preventing a nuclear armageddon. A close call occurs when a Federation base receives an accidental order to launch its nuclear arsenal. The base's commander reluctantly presses the launch button, but is informed of the error and manages to stop the countdown before the missile is launched. Watkins, an American reporter currently in Tokyo who is driven by Mokichi, visits Takano at the Tamuras' home and informs him that tensions are growing along the 38th parallel in Korea. He is worried that should armed conflict resume between the Federation-backed South Korea and Alliance-backed North Korea, it could lead to a broader global war. Watkins travels to the 38th parallel to report on the situation, shortly after which armed conflict begins as artillery on both sides exchange fire. Federation and Alliance fighters join the battle before both sides deploy ballistic nuclear missiles. While the missiles used are not particularly high yield, the use of nuclear weapons in an armed conflict is an unprecedented move that raises global concerns. The Alliance responds by constructing more missile silos at its North Pole missile base. While excavating through the ice with explosives, the Alliance accidentally triggers an avalanche that damages the controls for a nuclear missile, beginning a launch countdown. The general and personnel trapped inside the silo with the missile realize that once it is launched, retaliation will be immediate before anyone can realize it was fired in error and the world will be annihilated. Taking matters into his own hands, the general climbs to the top of the missile and succeeds in removing the activator before the missile launches. Soon after, a ceasefire is declared at the 38th parallel and relations between the Federation and Alliance seem to be improving. Military personnel on both sides have begun to breathe a sigh of relief, and plan for what they will do when they return home.

This peace is shattered once Federation and Alliance aircraft begin to battle over the Arctic Ocean. War is declared as forces from both sides begin entering each other's territory. The use of nuclear weapons by both sides to attack the other's major cities appears inevitable, and a panic breaks out. Takano elopes with Saeko in Yokohama before leaving for his next voyage. Hearing the news of the impending nuclear war at sea, Takano contacts Saeko via telegram and the two exchange their final goodbyes. Saeko joins her family for New Year's dinner, which will in all likelihood be their final meal. While Oyoshi and Saeko are well aware of their impending doom, Mokichi remains in denial, insisting humanity will not bring about its own destruction. Oyoshi struggles to keep her composure and play along, but Saeko breaks down and expresses the certainty that they will all be killed. Mokichi storms off to his room and watches the sunset from his balcony. He loudly declares he and his family will survive, that he will move to a summer home with his wife, that he will have a beautiful wedding for Saeko, that he will see his younger daughter Haru fulfill her dream to become a stewardess, and that he will see his son attend university, something he himself could never do. As Mokichi finally accepts the reality of the situation, he breaks down and sobs. Sanae remains at her daycare with the children whose parents could not retrieve them, and comforts them in their final moments by reading to them. The Prime Minister sits silently and dejected in a room in the National Diet Building, his efforts to preserve global peace having been in vain. At an Alliance missile base, one of the personnel agonizingly presses the button that launches a nuclear missile at Tokyo. The missile reaches and explodes over the city, the shockwave blasting apart the countless buildings like paper and causing Tokyo Bay to boil. A firestorm erupts, scorching what few buildings still stand, before black nuclear rain pours down, as the ground splits open and pours forth molten lava into the streets. A terrifying mushroom cloud envelops the city and can be seen from miles away. Other major cities around the globe meet the same fate: New York, Paris, London, Moscow, and many others are wiped off the map in an instant.

Out at sea, Takano and the others on his boat witness the end of Tokyo as they see the mushroom cloud rising overhead. The captain asks the crew what they shall do next, remain at sea or return home to the wreckage of Tokyo. If they return, they will contract lethal radiation sickness from the fallout, and their boat will be contaminated before they even reach the shore. Everyone remains silent, signalling a unanimous decision to return home, with which the captain agrees. Ebara comes on deck and gives everyone coffee, feigning happiness and remarking how a good cup of coffee makes him feel glad to be alive. He looks out over the sea and struggles to maintain his composure, asking why they are willingly going to their deaths if life is so good. The captain gives the order to turn back to Tokyo, where its entire crew will meet certain death. Takano and Ebara stand on deck before finally breaking down and weeping as they prepare to join their loved ones in death.

As the Diet Building sits among the scorched and molten ruins of Tokyo, the audience is reminded that this is a work of fiction that could one day become reality. Only by working together can mankind avoid this terrible fate.

Staff

Main article: The Last War/Credits.

Staff role on the left, staff member's name on the right.

Cast

Actor's name on the left, character played on the right.

  • Frankie Sakai   as   Mokichi Tamura, Tokyo Press Club limousine driver
  • Akira Takarada   as   Takano, sailor on the Kasagi Maru
  • Yuriko Hoshi   as   Saeko Tamura, Mokichi's daughter
  • Nobuko Otawa   as   Oyoshi Tamura, Mokichi's wife
  • Yumi Shirakawa   as   Sanae, Ebara's daughter
  • Chishu Ryu   as   Ebara, cook on the Kasagi Maru
  • Jerry Ito   as   Watkins, reporter
  • Eijiro Tono   as   Umehara, Captain of the Kasagi Maru
  • So Yamamura   as   Prime Minister Masaki
  • Ken Uehara   as   Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • Seizaburo Kawazu   as   Minister of Defense Suitani
  • Nobuo Nakamura   as   Chief Cabinet Secretary Fujikawa
  • Chieko Nakakita   as   Oharu
  • Minoru Takada   as   Tokyo Defense Headquarters commander
  • Shigeki Ishida   as   Arimura
  • Naoko Sakabe   as   Suzue, Oharu's daughter
  • Kozo Nomura   as   Ishizaki
  • Masao Oda   as   Mr. Mochiya
  • Yutaka Sada   as   reporter
  • Nadao Kirino   as   Tokyo Defense Headquarters officer
  • Koji Uno   as   Tokyo Defense Headquarters officer
  • Seiji Yoshida   as   Kasagi Maru sailor
  • Toshihiko Furuta   as   helicopter crew
  • Kyoko Mori   as   childcare worker at the daycare
  • Teruko Mita   as   Izawa, teacher at the daycare
  • Jiro Kumagai   as   Minister of Health and Welfare
  • Soji Ubukata   as   Minister of Education
  • Shiro Tsuchiya   as   Minister of Justice
  • Keiichiro Katsumoto   as   neighbor
  • Naoya Kusakawa   as   helicopter crew
  • Wataru Omae   as   Kasagi Maru officer
  • Yoshio Katsube   as   reporter
  • Masaki Shinohara   as   Tokyo Defense Headquarters worker
  • Yutaka Oka   as   Tokyo Defense Headquarters worker
  • Koji Uruki   as   mailman
  • Koji Abe   as   Ichiro Tamura, Mochiki's son
  • Yuko Tominaga   as   Haru Tamura, Mochiki's daughter
  • Yuki Shimizu   as   female clerk at Sankamashi Electric company
  • Toshiko Nakano   as   neighbor A
  • Tsurue Ichimanji   as   neighbor B
  • Asami Hotaka
  • Howard Larson   as   Federal Army staff officer
  • Ed Keane   as   Allied Army commander
  • Bernard Barre   as   Allied Army maintenance officer
  • Cliff Harrington
  • Hank Brown   as   Federal Army First Lieutenant Mark
  • Daniel Jones
  • Ben Greenhough
  • Mike Snape
  • Roy Lessard
  • Hans Horneff   as   Allied Army missile base commander
  • Harold Conway   as   Federal Army missile base commander
  • Osman Yusuf   as   Allied Army correspondent
  • Yasuo Araki, Toku Ihara, Tadashi Okabe, Jun Kuroki, Hideo Shibuya, Shigemi Sunagawa, Wajiro Suzukawa, Satoru Shinno, Bin Furuya   as   Kasagi Maru sailors (uncredited)
  • Kuniyoshi Kashima   as   Kasagi Maru helmsman (uncredited)
  • Minoru Ito, Hideo Otsuka, Saburo Kadowaki, Eisuke Nakanishi   as   Tokyo Defense Headquarters workers (uncredited)
  • Ken Echigo, Hiroshi Sekita, Masanari Nihei   as   singers on TV (uncredited)
  • Tokio Okawa, Masayoshi Kawabe, Ikuo Kawamura, Akio Kusama, Eizaburo Komatsu   as   Tokyo Press Club drivers (uncredited)
  • Kamayuki Tsubono   as   Tokyo Press Club driver / reporter (uncredited)
  • Hiroshi Akitsu   as   reporter (uncredited)
  • Hakuyoji Watanabe   as   station worker (uncredited)
  • Haruo Suzuki   as   Daisho Securities employee / Tokyo Defense Headquarters officer (uncredited)
  • Kazuo Hinata   as   government official (uncredited)
  • Akira Kitchoji   as   Minister of Finance (uncredited)
  • Junpei Natsuki   as   father coming to pick up his child (uncredited)
  • Takuya Yuki   as   father coming to pick up his child / Tokyo Defense Headquarters worker (uncredited)
  • Yoshie Kihara, Sachiko Mori   as   mothers coming to pick up their children (uncredited)
  • Masaaki Tachibana   as   tour guide / reporter (uncredited)
  • Haruo Nakajima   as   policeman guiding evacuation (uncredited)
  • Ryutaro Amami   as   Sankamashi Electric company employee / reporter / National Diet Building security guard (uncredited)
  • Masahide Matsushita   as   Daisho Securities customer / station worker (uncredited)
  • Saburo Iketani   as   announcer (uncredited)
  • Akijiro Hikari   as   Migame Shoji employee (uncredited)
  • Shigeo Suzuki   as   helicopter pilot (uncredited)
  • Ichiro Chiba   as   evacuating man (uncredited)
  • Enver Altenbay   as   Allied Army reconnaissance crew (uncredited)
  • Ralph Jesser   as   Allied Army officer (uncredited)
  • Cump Cubens   as   Allied Army engineer (uncredited)
  • Leonard Stanford   as   Federal Army staff officer (uncredited)

Frontier Enterprises English dub

  • Tom Korzeniowski[4]

United States English dub

Appearances

Weapons, vehicles, and organizations

Production

For the scenes depicting the destruction of Tokyo, Paris, Moscow, New York City, and London, Eiji Tsuburaya suggested creating miniatures out of paraffin, before it was decided to use wafers. In a 1996 interview, miniature builder Yoshio Irie recalled, "Since the destruction of the world's cities was going to be such a crucial element of [The Last War], we tried to find a substance that would produce especially convincing results when blown up. We experimented with many different materials, but found that wafers worked best. Unfortunately, we also found that mice liked to eat the wafers."[6] In order to deter the rodents, several of the miniatures were hung and filmed upside down, which had the added effect of making them appear to be blasted high into the air.[6]

Gallery

Main article: The Last War/Gallery.

Soundtrack

Main article: The Last War/Soundtrack.

Alternate titles

  • World War III: Tokyo's Last Day (第三次世界大戦 東京最後の日,   Daisanji Sekai Taisen: Tōkyō Saigo no Hi, early Japanese title)[7]
    • (㐧三次世界大戦 東京最後の日,   Daisanji Sekai Taisen, alternate spelling)[8]
  • The Last War? (Hong Kong publicity materials)
  • The Final War (La Guerra Final; Mexico)
  • Last War (L'ultima guerra, Italy)
  • Death-Rays from Outer Space (Todesstrahlen aus dem Weltall; West Germany)
  • The Last War of the Apocalypse (La Dernière Guerre de l'Apocalypse; France)
  • The Last Day of the World (O Último Dia do Mundo; Brazil)

Theatrical releases

View all posters for the film here.

Foreign releases

Hong Kong ad for an English-dubbed showing of The Last War in the South China Morning Post (June 19, 1962)

On October 10, 1961, just two days after its Japanese premiere, an Associated Press story on The Last War appeared in American newspapers, vividly describing the film's climax and reporting that Toho was looking to show the film in the United States, Europe and the Soviet Union.[9] Despite this, The Last War received very little known theatrical distribution outside of East and South Asia and no wide theatrical release in the United States.

An uncut English-language international dub was commissioned by Toho[10] and realized by William Ross's Tokyo-based Frontier Enterprises.[4] The dub received its first known public screenings in Hong Kong starting March 15, 1962 at the Queen's, State and Royal Theatres,[11] before being brought back that June at the Liberty Theatre with 4-track stereophonic sound,[12][13] the same as the original Japanese release. In her March 16 review of the film for the South China Morning Post, Jean Gordon states that Frankie Sakai's character is a chauffeur of the "American Press Club," possibly elucidating a difference in the Frontier dub's writing. She goes on to say that "the Japanese actors employed in the principal parts handle their roles with such skill that the English-American dubbing can be accepted without too much incredulity."[14] Frontier's dub was then shown in Singapore at the Capitol Theatre starting November 17 of the same year.[15]

On November 28, 1962, the international English dub had its Indian premiere at the Excelsior Theatre in Bombay. A newspaper ad from that day highlighted the attendance of the city's mayor Dr. N. N. Shah and featured an enthusiastic recommendation by then-current (and first post-independence) Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.[16] The initial Bombay release was a monumental six-week run at the Excelsior followed by a two-week run at the Aurora Theatre.[17][18] The Times of India boasted the Excelsior run as being "destined to break all records in Bombay" in its second week.[19] The Last War was followed by the import of numerous other Toho films to India, with newspaper ads continuing to recall Toho as the "makers of The Last War" and the company "who gave you The Last War" years later.[20][21][22] The last known screening of the Frontier dub occurred at the Super Cinema in Bombay on February 2, 1969.[23]

Though the mono version of the unique trailer made for Toho's international English dub has been included on Japanese home video releases, the actual dub has yet to be released in the United States or appear on any home video format anywhere in the world in either of its mono or 4-track stereo versions.

U.S. release

Drive-in ad for The Last War in The Bakersfield Californian (November 13, 1968)

On October 17, 1961, Toho offered The Last War's U.S. distribution rights up for bid, with Variety reporting that Toho had "dropped [the] idea of doing its own distribution." Columbia and Paramount were among the interested parties.[24] In November of that year, Pacific Stars and Stripes reported that MGM was due to release the film sometime in March 1962,[25] but this never materialized. The Last War's earliest showings in the United States actually occurred in international theaters in Honolulu, Hawaii, presented in Japanese with English subtitles. The Nippon Theatre first showed it in a special preview on December 29, 1961, with regular showings scheduled to begin on January 3, 1962.[26] En route to the continental U.S., star Frankie Sakai visited Honolulu for five days and made a special appearance at a showing at the Nippon.[27] The film also played at Honolulu's Queen Theater in May 1962.[28]

While the film was originally released in Japan with overture music, the English-subtitled print shown in Honolulu used this music to underscore a "preface" presented through rolling titles, as mentioned in a review in The Honolulu Advertiser.[29] The text in this preface appeared earlier in a fold-out as part of an extensive multi-page trade ad taken out by Toho in the October 23, 1961 issue of Boxoffice magazine, where it was attributed to then-current Toho president Masashi Shimizu.[30] This preface was likely carried over to the international English-dubbed version, as its text is referenced in Jean Gordon's March 1962 column in the South China Morning Post covering recent film releases.[31] The preface is shown before the Toho logo on home video presentations of the film's international trailer.[32]

Brenco Pictures Corporation, the foreign importing firm of producers Stanley Meyer and Edward L. Alperson,[33] ultimately acquired The Last War for distribution in the United States. Meyer, who either rejected or was not supplied with the film's international English dub,[34] saw a new dub recorded for Brenco similarly to the company's releases of The Human Vapor and Gorath. Reports in The Hollywood Reporter and Variety throughout 1962 illustrate a timeline in which Meyer started dubbing a Japanese film in June 1962,[35] bought and started dubbing a second Japanese film that October,[36] and then accompanied Alperson to meet with film executives in Tokyo in November,[37] presumably to strike a deal for a third Japanese film. Though there is seemingly no mention of Meyer dubbing a third Japanese film in trade magazines from that year or the next, the presence of stock footage inserts and music from The Last War in Brenco's cut of Gorath demonstrates that The Last War could not have been acquired after the completion of editing on Gorath.

Although a sample newspaper article in Brenco's pressbook for The Human Vapor states that "audiences will be able to see more of Mr. Tsuburaya's work in the forthcoming ASTRONAUT 1980 and THE LAST WAR,"[38] the latter film was evidently delayed, possibly due to the underwhelming box office performance of Gorath as part of a package with The Human Vapor starting in May 1964.[39][40] By late November 1964, Meyer had signed prolific voice actor Marvin Miller on to the project, originally to dub two leads. Meyer then challenged Miller to dub all 51 male speaking roles (a record at the time).[5] Like Meyer's English dubs of The Human Vapor and Gorath, future music editor and composer Kenneth Wannberg was hired to edit the film. Thirty-one minutes were removed in total (29 minutes not counting the overture/preface).

Brenco's cut restructured the film to be told in flashback by Takano during the Kasagi Maru's doomed return voyage to Tokyo, a narrative technique also employed in Meyer and Wannberg's edit of The Human Vapor and many other previous Americanizations of Toho films. Several subplots were removed, namely the entire character of Watkins and his interactions with the Tamura family, Mokichi at his job at the press center and his investments in the stock market, Prime Minister Masaki's poor health condition, and casual discussion between the staff at the Federal Army Missile Base. Japanese customs that would seem unfamiliar to U.S. audiences, such as Children's Day, were given mild exposition in the narration by Takano. Many scenes that were left silent in Toho's version were scored with repeats of other cues from the soundtrack, most often the main title cue. The Japanese folk song "New Year's Day," sung by the children at Sanae's daycare, was replaced with the Sherman Brothers' song "It's a Small World." An excerpt of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy's September 25, 1961 address to the United Nations General Assembly[41] was used as an analogue for the ending text in Toho's version.

Despite Brenco's preparations taking place years earlier, its version of The Last War is not known to have been seen until November 1968, when it was shown at the Edison Drive-In theater in Bakersfield, California. It headlined a triple feature with The Violent Ones (1967) and Blood Beast from Outer Space (1965), which was shown from November 13-19.[42] No other theatrical screenings have yet been identified. Brenco's distribution rights for The Last War had been transferred to Heritage Enterprises by 1972, when the two companies filed a joint copyright on it and multiple other Brenco releases.[43] Heritage entered a cropped 4:3 version of the Brenco version into U.S. television syndication as part of their "Eerie Series" package,[44][45] with the earliest known TV listings appearing in 1975. TV listings over the years mostly attributed the year 1968 to the film,[46] but the earliest listings often used 1965,[47] which may have been the year of completion of Brenco's version. Heritage evidently repurposed Brenco's 60-second TV spot as a TV trailer. A 4:3 source of a longer, theatrical-length trailer featuring an alternate assemblage of much of the same sound and picture materials exists, and is likely to be Brenco's theatrical trailer; it is not known what purpose this 4:3 version was used for.

Video Gems released Brenco's edited version of the film to VHS and Betamax in 1985,[48] which remain the only official home video releases of the film in the United States to this day. The film elements, along with streaming and home video rights, currently rest with MGM through the Brenco films' inclusion in the Samuel Goldwyn film library.[49]

Box office

The Last War earned ¥284.99 million in distributor rentals during its 1961 theatrical run, making it Toho's third-highest-earning film of the year and the tenth-highest-earning Japanese film of the year.[2]

Technical specifications

Japanese version (1961)

  • Shooting format: 35mm color negative (anamorphic)
  • Lab work: Far East Laboratory
  • Distribution format: 35mm color print (anamorphic)
  • Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
  • Audio format: Optical mono, Perspecta (optical mono encoded as 3.0), magnetic stereo (4.0)
  • Spoken language: Japanese, English
  • On-screen language: Japanese (credits, subtitles, expository text)
  • Lab reel count: 8 reels
  • Footage count: 9,879 feet (3,011 meters)
  • Notes: Contains overture.

International version (ca. 1961-1962)

  • Printed format: 35mm color print (anamorphic)
  • Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
  • Audio format: Optical mono, magnetic stereo (4.0)
  • Spoken language: English
  • On-screen language: English (expository text)
  • Notes: Overture music supplied with visuals in the form of rolling titles prefacing the film.

Video releases

Video Gems VHS/Betamax (1985)

  • Region: NTSC
  • Tapes: 1
  • Audio: English (Mono)

Toho LaserDisc (September 21, 1987)

  • Region: NTSC
  • Discs: 1 (CLV, 2 sides)
  • Audio: Japanese (Mono)
  • Special features: black and white insert

Toho VHS (1991)

  • Region: NTSC
  • Tapes: 1
  • Audio: Japanese (Mono)

Toho LaserDisc (1996)

  • Region: NTSC
  • Discs: 1 (CLV, 2 sides)
  • Audio: Japanese (Stereo)
  • Special features: Export trailer, 4-page color insert, 2-page color insert

Toho DVD (December 23, 2004)

  • Region: 2
  • Discs: 1
  • Audio: Japanese (Mono, 4.0 Surround)
  • Subtitles: Japanese
  • Special features: Audio commentary by Shue Matsubayashi, export trailer, gallery of stills and the theatrical pamphlet, 8-page booklet
  • Notes: Re-released on July 15, 2015 as part of the Toho DVD Masterpiece Selection.

DeAgostini Japan DVD (April 26, 2011)

  • Region: 2
  • Discs: 1
  • Audio: Japanese
  • Subtitles: None
  • Special features: Booklet

Though The Last War is not available on Blu-ray, an HD version of the film can be rented or purchased on the Japanese version of Prime Video.

Videos

Japanese trailer (reconstruction)
International trailer
Textless international trailer
U.S. theatrical trailer (4:3 version)
U.S. 60-second TV trailer

Trivia

References

This is a list of references for The Last War. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]

  1. Tanaka 1983, pp. 210-211.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Aoki 2012, p. 180
  3. "世界大戦争" [The Last War]. Toho Reference Room. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Homenick, Brett (2 August 2012). "G-FEST XIX". Sidelong Glances of a Pigeon Kicker.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Noe 1964, p. 14
  6. 6.0 6.1 Ragone 2014, p. 65
  7. Asai 2012, p. 60.
  8. Suzuki 2012, p. 60.
  9. Roderick 1961, p. 16.
  10. Toho c. 1962, p. 82.
  11. South China Morning Post 1962a, p. 4: "IN ENGLISH DIALOGUE"
  12. South China Morning Post 1962b, p. 5: "–TO-MORROW– "The Last War?" English Version ● TohoScope Eastman Color"
  13. South China Morning Post 1962c, p. 4: "In Added Wonder of 4-Track Stereophonic Sound"
  14. Gordon 1962d, p. 4.
  15. The Straits Times 1962, p. 4.
  16. The Times of India 1962a, p. 3: "THE LAST WAR is a unique pictorial record that dares to reveal in shocking detail as to what will happen to the world if a nuclear war breaks out. It will be the last war of the world, marking the complete annihilation of mankind! – Jawaharlal Nehru"
  17. The Times of India 1963a, p. 2.
  18. The Times of India 1963b, p. 3: "8th and Final Week!"
  19. The Times of India 1962b, p. 2: "2nd Week! Destined to break all records in Bombay! A truly unique picture specially recommended by the Prime Minister"
  20. The Times of India 1964a, p. 2: "TOHO FILMS, Makers of "The Last War" now present THE THREE TREASURES"
  21. The Times of India 1964b, p. 2: "Another Masterpiece from the Makers of "THE LAST WAR""
  22. The Times of India 1965, p. 3: "Toho Co. who gave you 'The Last War' 'Tokyo by Night, Interpol Code 8' [sic] 'High & Low' now presents its fantastic and Action-packed Science-fiction drama SPACE MONSTER DOGORA"
  23. The Times of India 1969, p. 3: "Today 12 Noon! Tomorrow 9-30 a.m."
  24. Variety 1961, p. 15.
  25. Ricketts 1961, p. 11.
  26. Gima 1961, p. 17
    The Last War Honolulu Star Bulletin Thu Dec 28 1961 .jpg
  27. The Honolulu Advertiser 1962
    The Last War The Honolulu Advertiser Sat Jan 6 1962.png
  28. Ito 1962, p. B-4
    The Last War The Honolulu Advertiser Mon May 7 1962 .jpg
  29. Carlson 1962, p. 10: "IN A PREFACE, the movie-makers declare their neutrality in the Cold War. They say they "are inimical to no one," but simply interested in serving the cause of world peace."
  30. Shlyen 1961, pp. 2-6.
  31. Gordon 1962e, p. 4: "It is a Japanese film and the producers make the point that the Japanese people are in a special position to appeal to the world to work for peace."
  32. SpaceHunterM (8 December 2016). "The Last War (1961) - International English Trailer (480p)". YouTube.
  33. Dutra 1962, p. 18: ""Irma La Douce" [...] also will be included as part of the Alperson-Meyer production unit. In the deal made with Wallace, Alperson and Meyer offered the author a participation in the world gross of the film, [...] plus a stock participation deal in their foreign import company, Brenco Pictures Corp."
  34. Carrozza 2021, p. 108.
  35. Connolly 1962a, p. 2.
  36. Connolly 1962b, p. 2.
  37. Variety 1962, p. 16.
  38. Brenco 1964, p. 10.
  39. Boxoffice 1964b, p. W-2: "Los Angeles – Gorath (Brenco) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65"
  40. Boxoffice 1964a, p. 10: "Computation is in terms of percentage in relation to normal grosses as determined by the theatre managers. With 100 per cent as "normal," the figures show the gross rating above or below that mark."
  41. "Address Before The United Nations General Assembly, 25 September 1961". John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  42. The Los Angeles Times 1968, p. 85.
  43. "The Human vapor & 5 other titles". U.S. Copyright Public Records System. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  44. Broadcasting 1975, p. 46.
  45. Broadcasting 1976, p. 93.
  46. The Times 1976, p. 28.
  47. Daily Press 1975, p. 177.
  48. Furtaw 1992, p. 1459.
  49. heiseigodzilla425 (3 June 2020). "Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors". Toho Kingdom.

Bibliography

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