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11 STRANGER THAN HEAVEN unfolds across five cities and five eras of modern Japan, each a distinct chapter in Makoto Daito's fifty-year journey. The story begins earlier still, in San Francisco in 1915, before Makoto departs for Japan.
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44 The Eras
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6-YearCitySetting1915KokuraAn industrial town in Fukuoka1929KureA naval shipbuilding port in Hiroshima1943Minami, OsakaA wartime entertainment district1951AtamiA postwar seaside resort in Shizuoka1965Shinjuku, TokyoA bright pleasure district, and the saga's finale
6+YearCitySetting1915KokuraAn industrial town in Fukuoka, home to one of the world's largest foundries1929KureA port in Hiroshima dominated by Japan's largest naval arsenal1943Minami, OsakaWestern Japan's largest entertainment district, as the world edges toward war1951AtamiA postwar seaside resort in Shizuoka, synonymous with tourism1965Shinjuku, TokyoJapan's most iconic pleasure district, and the saga's finale
77 A Changing Japan
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99 Each era reflects its moment in history, from industry and wartime to postwar recovery. The 1951 Atami chapter in particular highlights the American cultural influence sweeping postwar Japan. As the decades pass, the world and its characters change around Makoto.
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1111 The developers have said they favor a believable dramatization over strict historical accuracy. The cities are not exact replicas of their real-world counterparts, and real events from each era are generally left out unless they tie directly into Makoto's story.
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1313 Beginnings in San Francisco
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1515 The opening in 1915 San Francisco establishes Makoto's origins and the prejudice that sets him on the path to Japan. It serves as the starting point of the story rather than one of the five main Japanese chapters.