Natural disasters of the Asia Pacific Region: 2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

This piece written in 2017, explains what happens and also how Japan has responded to the disaster.

The March earthquake was unusual in two ways: First, it was the country’s largest recorded quake and the fourth-largest in the world since 1935 when the Richter scale was introduced. Second, it complicated the picture for how we forecast the main shock of a large earthquake.

As we reflect on the terrible destruction of lives and livelihoods wrought by this natural disaster, one question springs to mind: how can we better protect ourselves from the next one? (March 12, 2016)

"People have returned. Homes have been rebuilt. The condemned seafront is busy with activity, as construction begins on a memorial national park. Life goes on."

The Japanese barely let the dust settle before they set about rebuilding, and rebuilding better. In Minamisanriku, the hills near the township are being spliced away and the dirt transported to the coastline, where endless convoys of giant trucks are going about raising the land by over 10 metres.

2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami timeline, response, recovery and transition.

A large number of countries have mobilised aid to assist Japanese relief efforts following last week's devastating earthquake and tsunami (Tue 15 Mar 2011 00.03 AEDT)

OCHA (UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs)
The coordinated response to the Great East Japan Earthquake has lessons for the future and the region.

Caritas was involved in delivering emergency aid such as shelter and psychological care in the immediate aftermath of the disaster as well as planning for long term reconstruction efforts such as restoring infrastructure and rebuilding homes.

Japan is marking 10 years since the worst natural disaster in the country’s living memory: a powerful earthquake, deadly tsunami and nuclear meltdown that traumatised the nation.