7 Seeds

7 Seeds (セブンシーズ) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yumi Tamura. It is set in a post-apocalyptic future, long enough after a meteorite hits Earth that new species have evolved, and follows the struggles of five groups of young adults to survive after they are revived from cryonic preservation. The title comes from five groups of individuals in cryogenic chambers along with supplies, called "seeds", laid down by the Japanese government.

Story
When astronomers predicted that the Earth would be hit by a meteorite, a small faction of the Japanese government formulated a plan to save the Japanese race, 'Project 7 Seeds'.

This faction cryonically preserved a number of healthy young people, allowing them to survive the devastation of the impact. After their unit computers determined that Earth was once again safe for human life, the groups were revived from their suspended state.

The Japanese government created five groups of survivors named Winter, Spring, Summer A, Summer B, and Autumn. Each group consisted of seven members, of which most were not informed before being put under cryonic preservation, and one adult guide who was informed of the situation.

These groups were scattered across Japan: the Summer groups in southern and northern Kyūshū, Autumn in western Honshū, Spring in central Honshū near Tokyo, and Winter in Hokkaidō.

The project also prepared sealed caches containing seeds and instructional books near the 'seven Fuji'. These seven Fuji are not related to the famous Mount Fuji, but are regional landmarks also named Fuji:


 * Bungo Fuji in Ōita Prefecture
 * is Mt. Yufudake, where the cache is marked by a statue of the Buddha Dainichi. (Vairocana)


 * Ogino Fuji in Kanagawa Prefecture
 * is Mt. Kyogatake, where the cache is marked by a statue of Monjubosatsu, the bodhisattva Manjusri.


 * Kobe Fuji in Hyogo Prefecture


 * is Mount Futatabi of the Rokkō Mountains; marked by a statue of Acala (Fudo myo-o)


 * Natori Fuji in Miyagi Prefecture
 * is Mt. Taihaku, near Sendai, where the cache is marked by a statue of Kokūzō (Akasagarbha)


 * Akan Fuji in Hokkaidō
 * is Mt. Meakandake, where the cache is marked by a statue of Senju-Kannon, the goddess of mercy.


 * Tosa Fuji in Kumamoto


 * is Mt. Takamori, marked by a statue of Mahasthamaprapta


 * Noto Fuji in Ishikawa


 * is Mt. Takatsume-ya, marked by a statue of Kukurihime.


 * Fuji
 * is a ghost ship which is adrift at sea in a vast ship graveyard. It is marked by a painting of the buddha Samanthabadra riding on a white elephant's back. This Fuji was the only one kept hidden and used as a humans' shelter at the same time.

Awoken from their cryogenic sleep many years later, the young men and women find themselves amidst an hostile environment devoid of human life. They soon realise Japan is no longer the country they once knew.

Characters
Every member of a group has a name containing a kigo, a poetic seasonal word, related to the group name. For example, all of the members of the Spring group have names traditionally associated with spring.

Each group consists of seven members plus a guide trained in wilderness survival. The five groups are listed in order of appearance in the series, which is different from the order in which they were revived from cryonic preservation in the series' chronology.

Setting
7 Seeds takes place an unknown number of years after the collision of several large meteorites with Earth. As a result of the impact, the climate of Japan has greatly changed from the present day.

The series depicts a Japan in which, as a result of the new environment and mass extinctions, ecosystems have changed and several new species of animals and plants have evolved.

Radio drama
7 Seeds was also adapted into a radio drama that was broadcast from December 9, 2003 to February 6, 2004.

Awards
In 2007, the series won the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo manga.

Development
In an author's note, Tamura-sama says that 7 Seeds was inspired by news reports that near-Earth object (89959) 2002 NT7 might potentially collide with Earth.