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Which Japanese prefectures were hardest hit by the 2011 tsunami?
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Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011
Aerial view of damage to a portion of the northeastern coast of Honshu, Japan, following the offshore earthquake and resultant tsunami there on March 11, 2011.
The 2011 tsunami, triggered by a magnitude-9.0 earthquake, caused catastrophic damage along the Pacific coastline of northeastern Japan. While the disaster affected a wide area, the prefectures hardest hit by the tsunami waves were:
- Miyagi: This prefecture suffered the greatest losses, with thousands of casualties and widespread destruction in coastal communities such as Sendai, Ishinomaki, Shiogama, and Kesennuma.123
- Iwate: Located north of Miyagi, this prefecture experienced severe inundation, with significant damage reported in cities including Kamaishi and Miyako.3
- Fukushima: This prefecture, situated south of Miyagi, also sustained heavy damage from the tsunami, which further instigated a major nuclear accident at a coastal power station.423
Additionally, the prefectures of Ibaraki and Chiba experienced significant impacts from both the tsunami and the earthquake. The vast majority of the disaster's total casualties—estimated at approximately 18,500 to 20,000 people—occurred within the three most severely affected prefectures: Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima.23