The Last War

The film opens with narration over shots of modern Tokyo, showing Japan's rapid recovery 16 years after World War II. Mokichi Tamura works as a driver for a press center and longs for happiness for his family. His daughter Saeko is in love with Takano, a merchant who has been at sea for a long time, and they anticipate marrying with Tamura's blessing.

Upon Takano's return, the couple agrees to marry with Saeko's father's consent. Tamura contemplates the future happiness of his daughter and the stability a wedding would bring to their family.

Tensions between the Federation and the Alliance intensify after an intelligence-gathering vessel is captured, signaling a broader crisis. The world edges toward war as intelligence and military actions escalate.

A new Korean War erupts across the 38th parallel, drawing the Federation and Alliance into open confrontation. Military actions rapidly escalate, threatening to widen the conflict beyond Korea.

Dogfights between Federation and Alliance fighters rage over the Arctic Ocean as both sides weaponize air-to-air missiles with nuclear warheads. The standoff deepens, signaling a slide toward global nuclear exchange.

Two ICBMs come close to being launched during the crisis, but diplomatic or military pressures prevent the missiles from firing. The near-miss moment exposes how precarious the situation remains.

Japan urges both sides to seek peace as the conflict intensifies, but officials fear retaliation due to Tokyo's open support for the Federation. The government weighs the risks of becoming a target in a broader war.

An armistice between North Korea and South Korea is concluded, yet hostilities flare again as fighting resumes. The fragile pause offers no lasting relief for global tensions.

Five ICBMs are launched by both sides, targeting major cities around the world: Tokyo, London, Paris, New York, and Moscow. The world braces for the scale of the impending nuclear exchange.

The family remains in Tokyo as panic spreads and they share a final dinner. Tamura sobs that he will never see Saeko marry Takano or his younger children grow to adulthood.

That night, the first ICBM detonates miles above the National Diet Building, tearing the city apart and creating a mushroom cloud visible from Mount Fuji. The shockwave obliterates homes and infrastructure, killing Tamura and his family as their house is incinerated.

Shortly after Tokyo's destruction, the remaining four missiles hit Moscow, New York, London, and Paris in sequence, clearly showing the global scale of the attack. The targeted cities are obliterated, and the world sinks further into chaos.

The next morning, Takano and his crew alter course to head toward Tokyo's ruins, willing to die from radiation rather than abandon hope. Their vessel contends with the deadly fallout as they move closer to the devastated city.

On the brink of extinction, the maitre d' of the ship and Takano break down as Takano realizes Saeko is dead and that there is no chance of survival for themselves or humanity. The film shifts to the stark fate of humanity in the face of annihilation.

The final image shows Tokyo reduced to an immense crater, with the Diet Building nearby and lava flows cooling around it. A warning overlays the screen, stressing that such events must never occur in reality.