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Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011: Quick Facts

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Facts

Also Known As Great Tōhoku earthquake • Great Sendai earthquake
Date March 11, 2011
Location Honshu • Japan • Sendai • Tōhoku
Context earthquake • tsunami • Fukushima accident

Did You Know?

  • The largest fault slip ever recorded caused the tsunami that hit Japan.
  • The earthquake was so strong that it shifted Earth on its axis.
  • Five million tons of material and debris from Japan were swept out to the Pacific Ocean by the tsunami.

Photos and Videos

earthquake damage, Honshu, Japan, 2011
Map of northeastern Honshu, Japan, showing the epicenter and affected regions of the 2011 Japan earthquake. The map uses color shading to indicate areas of severe to moderate perceived shaking, with the strongest impact along the Pacific coast, including Miyagi, Fukushima, Ibaraki, and Chiba prefectures. Major cities such as Sendai and Tokyo are labeled, and tectonic plate boundaries and fault lines are marked offshore.
Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011
Pacific Ocean map showing 2011 Japan tsunami wave heights, with red and purple areas indicating highest waves spreading from Japan across the ocean toward the Americas, labeled with NOAA logo.
Wreckage from Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011
damage at Fukushima Daiichi power plant
Map of Japan's northeastern coast showing evacuation zones around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant following the 2011 accident. The map highlights the initial 20-kilometer exclusion zone as a red circle and uses color shading to indicate difficult-to-return zones, restricted residence zones, evacuation order cancellation preparation zones, and areas where evacuation orders have been lifted. An inset map shows the location within Japan.
Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force, Ōfunato, Iwate prefecture, Japan
temporary shelter near Sendai, Miyagi prefecture, Japan
Sendai, Miyagi prefecture, Japan
How Tsunamis Form from Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Landslides
Can We Predict Natural Disasters?
Pixelated window with the text TSUNAMI OR WAVE? and a large cursor overlaying a background of a large wave hitting the coast.
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