The Man Who Stole the Sun 1979

Kenji Sawada as Makoto Kido, a high school science and chemistry teacher, has decided to build his own atomic bomb. Before he can steal plutonium isotopes from the Tōkai Nuclear Power Plant, he becomes involved in a botched hijack of a school field trip bus. Alongside Bunta Sugawara as Inspector Yamashita, the two help subdue the hijacker and emerge publicly hailed as heroes. He also grows close to a female radio personality nicknamed “Zero.”

Meanwhile, Makoto manages to extract enough plutonium from his stolen isotopes to assemble two bombs: one true, and one decoy with only enough radioactive material to be detectable but otherwise useless. He plants the decoy in a public lavatory and phones the police, demanding that Yamashita take the case. Because Makoto speaks to the authorities through a voice scrambler, Yamashita remains unaware that he is the mastermind behind the entire scheme.

The mastermind then extorts the government into broadcasting baseball games in full, rather than stopping at 9 p.m., a move that captures public attention and squeezes new leverage from the state. Riding this momentum, Makoto follows a tip from Zero to use the real bomb to force the government into allowing the Rolling Stones to perform in Japan, despite a ban tied to Keith Richards’s narcotics arrest. The government grants the request, and Tokyo gears up to host the famous band.

As Makoto makes his way toward the concert with the real device, Yamashita pursues. On a rooftop confrontation, Makoto pulls a gun and compels Yamashita to back off. The revelation follows: Makoto admits his role as the extortionist and fights the detective. The struggle ends with both men tumbling from the rooftop; Makoto clings to the bomb and is saved when a power line catches him, while Yamashita falls to his death. With the device still in his possession, Makoto begins to walk away. A final ticking sound gives way to a sudden explosion, closing the perilous sequence.