The novel has led to works in other media as well as a sequel: a film based on the novel made in the same year directed by Shirō Moritani, a manga adaptation written by Takao Saito and published in Weekly Shōnen Champion in 1973–74, a television drama by TBS and Toho broadcast in 1974–75, a film remake in 2006 by Shinji Higuchi, a parody created in 2011 that features reverse disaster, an original net anime series released on Netflix by Science Saru in July 2020, and a reboot drama, Japan Sinks: People of Hope, broadcast in October 2021 on TBS.

The series, titled Japan Sinks: 2020, was animated by Science Saru, with Ho Pyeon-gang and Masaaki Yuasa served as directors.

Amidst the chaos, the Mutou siblings Ayumu (a 14-year-old track and field athlete) and her younger brother Gou (a 7-year-old video game enthusiast) attempt to escape the city with their family and friends.

The website's critics consensus reads, "Japan Sinks: 2020's swell of tension and frenetic pace leave little room to breathe, but bursts of hope and interesting insights into humanity may help brave viewers weather its apocalyptic story.

[11] The compilation film version of the series was awarded a Jury Selection Prize at the 2021 Japan Media Arts Festival.

[12] A parody short story by Yasutaka Tsutsui, titled Nihon Igai Zenbu Chinbotsu (The Whole World Sinks Except Japan) was also released in 1973, and adapted into a film of the same name in 2006.