NHK Chikyuu Daikikou The Miracle Planet Vol.1 LaserDisc L100-3004 Toshiba EMI

Title

NHK 地球大紀行 THE MIRACLE PLANET 第一集・第二集 / NHK The Miracle Planet — Episodes 1 & 2

Label / Publisher

TOEMI Video (東芝EMI株式会社 / Toshiba-EMI Ltd.) / Produced by NHK / NHK Service Center

Catalog Number

L100-3004

Format

LaserDisc (CLV) — 12-inch, single disc, 2 sides

Region / Compatibility

NTSC — Japanese pressing. Manufactured and distributed by Toshiba-EMI Ltd., Japan. Playable on any NTSC-compatible or multi-system LaserDisc player. No region lock on LaserDisc format.

Year

1987 (first release April 22, 1987)

Runtime

Approximately 110 minutes (両面ディスク / double-sided disc)

Audio

Side 1: Analogue / Side 2: Digital Sound (Stereo)

Aspect Ratio

Fullscreen (4:3 — no widescreen notation on jacket, obi, or disc label)

Original Price at Publication

¥9,734 (税込) / ¥9,450 (税抜)

Music

吉川洋一郎 (Yoshikawa Yoichiro) — also released as original soundtrack album (WTP-90464 LP / ZH28-1806 MT / CA32-1414 CD)

Narration

桜井洋子 (Sakurai Yoko) / 山本和之 (Yamamoto Kazuyuki)

Producer

中 雄一 (Naka Yuichi)

Content

This is Volume 1 of the landmark NHK documentary series 地球大紀行 (Chikyuu Daikikou / The Miracle Planet) — one of the most celebrated Japanese science documentary productions of the 1980s, chronicling 4.6 billion years of Earth's history through spectacular special effects photography and location filming across the globe. The full series ran to 12 volumes. This disc contains Episodes 1 and 2.

Side 1 — 第一集: 水の惑星・奇跡の旅立ち

(Episode 1: The Water Planet — A Miraculous Journey Begins)

How did Earth, the planet of life, come to be born? The episode travels to cratered landscapes that record the story of Earth's formation — the Canadian Arctic tundra, Arizona's Barringer Crater, the Nullarbor Plain of Australia, and other impact sites. Examines how Earth formed 4.6 billion years ago from solar nebula gas condensing into a primordial microplanet, the role of relentless meteorite bombardment in shaping the early Earth, and how water eventually emerged to create the conditions for life. Special effects photography recreates the birth of Earth from primordial chaos.

Side 2 — 第二集: 引き裂かれる大地

(Episode 2: The Torn Earth)

Beneath the blue-green surface of our living planet, intense heat drives the forces that shape continents. This episode examines the internal heat engine of Earth — focusing on Iceland's mid-Atlantic Ridge volcanic activity, the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, submarine volcanic systems, and the ongoing process of continental drift. Computer imagery and special effects recreate the tectonic forces still tearing the Earth apart today.

Production Cooperation (partial list from insert):

NASA, Hawaii University Volcano Observatory, Canada Quebec State, Saitama Prefecture Industrial Technology Research Center, Iceland Volcano Research Institute, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Victoria University, MIT (John Edmond), Australia National Science Foundation, and others.

Insert

Original large-format insert present — titled "NHK 地球大紀行 第一集・第二集" — double-sided, containing full Japanese episode synopses for both episodes, complete production staff credits, and list of international scientific institutions that cooperated in production. Insert catalog number L100-3004.

Obi Strip

Original orange/black TOEMI LaserVision obi present and intact. Obi notes: あなたの住む星を知っていますか。— "Do you know the planet you live on?" / 46億年にわたる地球のすべてをビジュアル化し、この生命の星・地球の素晴らしさを、次代に伝えたい — "Visualizing all 4.6 billion years of Earth, conveying the wonder of this planet of life to future generations." Side 2のみ デジタル・サウンド noted.

Series Context

The back jacket obi lists the complete 12-volume series release schedule (L100-3004 through L100-3009), covering all 12 episodes from Earth's formation through the solar system's future. The companion soundtrack album is also cross-referenced.

Condition

Case/jacket is in good condition. Disc is free of major scratches or flaws.