Japan has a long history of disaster narratives, and this chapter considers five related to a single historical event, the 1985 JAL flight JL123 crash, which remains the world’s deadliest single plane crash. The chapter reviews relevant literature in relation to how dramatizations portray “the truth” while seemingly needing to fit with disaster narrative conventions. The chapter analyzes the way in which five dramatizations handle aspects of the JL123 crash and its aftermath. While the focus is on the JL123 crash, the methods used in this chapter could be applied to other events in the same way.

Introduction

Just as “fake news” has been discussed in relation to reporting, so it is pertinent to think about dramatizations and the degree to which they present “the truth” about events. This chapter addresses this topic by considering the media representation of a single event that occurred in 1985 in Japan. On 12 August 1985, JAL flight JL123 crashed in Ueno-mura, north-west of Tokyo. The crash remains the world’s deadliest single plane crash, with an official death toll of 520. Miraculously, four survivors were found when search and rescue teams reached the site the next morning. Naturally, news media covered the aftermath of the crash in the days and weeks that followed, but there have also been books, documentaries and dramatizations over the years. The scale and other aspects of the crash have ensured that significant interest remains in the disaster.

By focusing on the dramatizations relating to the JL123 crash, this study allows for a detailed analysis of disaster narratives. Japan has a long tradition of disaster movies, with the Godzilla franchise being the most well-known. To frame the study, the chapter begins with a review of the relevant literature to understand the role of dramatizations in portraying “the truth” together with their need to fit with conventions that disaster narratives include. The rest of the chapter analyzes the way in which five dramatizations handle aspects of the JL123 crash and its aftermath.