On March 11, 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and a subsequent major tsunami hit Miyagi Prefecture, causing major damage to the area. The tsunami was estimated to be approximately 10 meters high in Miyagi Prefecture. On April 7, 2011, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Miyagi, Japan. Workers were then evacuated from the nearby troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility once again, as a tsunami warning was issued for the coastline. Residents were told to flee for inner land at that time. Officials from the U.S. Geological Survey later downgraded the magnitude to 7.1 from 7.4.
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
Miyagi Prefecture
Miyagi Prefecture | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
On March 11, 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and a subsequent major tsunami, on  April 7, 2011, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake March 11, 2011 On March 11, 2011 and  April 7, 2011. March 11, 2011,
what year did the mayflower land on plymouth bay
user
December 16, 1620
assistant
where was this colony located?
user
Plymouth, Massachusetts
assistant
which is the ship they traveled to this place in?
user
"Mayflower"
assistant
is there a society bearing the same name as the ship?
user
Yes, The General Society of Mayflower Descendants, or The Mayflower Society
assistant
what was the language spoken by the people who came on the ship?
user
Sorry. I cannot find the answer based on the context.
assistant
was the place mentioned earlier associated with any war?
user
Yes, Revolutionary War
assistant
what sort of public transportation is found here?
user
Several transportation facilities available such as buses, railways, airports, ferry, etc
assistant
are there other cities closely similar to this one?
user
Yes, it  has shared a twin-city status with Devon in United Kingdom and Shichigahama, Miyagi Prefecture in Japan
assistant
has the last mentioned prefecture experienced any natural disaster?
user
Yes, earthquake and tsunami
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when did these occur?
user
On March 11, 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and a subsequent major tsunami hit Miyagi Prefecture, causing major damage to the area. The tsunami was estimated to be approximately 10 meters high in Miyagi Prefecture. On April 7, 2011, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Miyagi, Japan. Workers were then evacuated from the nearby troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility once again, as a tsunami warning was issued for the coastline. Residents were told to flee for inner land at that time. Officials from the U.S. Geological Survey later downgraded the magnitude to 7.1 from 7.4.
Miyagi Prefecture | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The former Japanese participant of Korean Broadcasting System's "Global Talk Show" Junko Sagawa criticized the Japanese government for "intentionally ignoring the Japanese citizens during the tsunami and the nuclear crisis" through her personal homepage on 17 March 2011. The earthquake postponed the analog shutdown in the Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures. Television stations in these three prefectures shut off their analog signals on 31 March 2012 at noon. Television stations in the Yamagata, Aomori, and Akita prefectures shut down their analog signals on 24 July 2011, along with the rest of Japan.
Aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Media
The population decline of Tōhoku, which began before the year 2000, has accelerated, now including previously dynamic Miyagi. Despite this, Sendai City has grown, in part due to relocations of people affected by the 2011 disaster. The population decline of Aomori, Iwate and Akita Prefectures, Honshu's three northernmost, began in the early 1980s after an initial loss of population in the late 1950s. Fukushima Prefecture, prior to 1980, had traditionally been the most populated, but today Miyagi is the most populated and urban by far.
Tōhoku region | Demographics
A few cases of suicide are also included. Most of these deaths occurred during the first six months after the earthquake and the number dropped thereafter, but as time has passed, the number has continued to increase. Most of these deaths occurred in Fukushima prefecture, where the prefecture government has suggested that they could be due to evacuations caused by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. These indirect casualties have already resulted in more deaths than the number of people killed directly by earthquake and tsunami within the Fukushima prefecture.
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Japan
The April 2011 Miyagi earthquake (Japanese: ) occurred off the coast of Miyagi Prefecture, approximately east of Sendai, Japan. The thrust earthquake was classified as an aftershock of the March 11 Tōhoku earthquake, and occurred at 23:32 JST (14:32 UTC) on Thursday, 7 April 2011. Several tsunami warnings were issued for the northeastern coast of Honshu; however, they were all canceled 90 minutes later. Over 3 million households in the area were left without power, and several nuclear plants suffered minor inconveniences. There was no major structural damage, but the quake killed at least 4 people and injured 141.
April 2011 Miyagi earthquake | Introduction
Japan's National Police Agency said on 3 April 2011, that 45,700 buildings were destroyed and 144,300 were damaged by the quake and tsunami. The damaged buildings included 29,500 structures in Miyagi Prefecture, 12,500 in Iwate Prefecture and 2,400 in Fukushima Prefecture. Three hundred hospitals with 20 beds or more in Tōhoku were damaged by the disaster, with 11 being completely destroyed. The earthquake and tsunami created an estimated 24–25 million tons of rubble and debris in Japan. An estimated 230,000 automobiles and trucks were damaged or destroyed in the disaster. As of the end of May 2011, residents of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures had requested deregistration of 15,000 vehicles, meaning that the owners of those vehicles were writing them off as unrepairable or unsalvageable.
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Damage and effects
The largest individual recording in Japan was 2.7 g, in Miyagi Prefecture, 75 km from the epicentre; the highest reading in the Tokyo metropolitan area was 0.16 g.
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Energy
The Miyagi area includes manufacturing and industrial zones with chemical and electronics plants. It is estimated that Miyagi accounts for 1.7% of Japan's gross domestic product. An estimated 23,600 hectares of farmland, mostly rice paddies, were damaged by the tsunami. Salt left in the soil by the seawater could adversely affect rice crops for years. The affected area accounts for as much as 3%–4% of Japan's rice production. An estimated 4.37 million chickens in northeast Japan died following the earthquake as a result of disruptions in the supply of feed from overseas suppliers.
Aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Japan
The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and the resulting Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster caused significant damage to the prefecture, primarily but not limited to the eastern Hamadōri region.
Fukushima Prefecture | 2011 earthquake and subsequent disasters
25 years after his death, Hirai’s foresight protected lives and environment from the March 11, 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. The Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant (Miyagi Prefecture), designed and built under his watch, was the sole plant in the region that fully resisted the disaster of March 11, 2011: all of its three reactors successfully withstood the seismic event and subsequent tsunami, shutting down safely as designed and virtually without any incident. The site of the plant even ended up providing a refuge for three months to more than 300 neighboring people who had lost their homes.
Yanosuke Hirai | Introduction
On 11 March 2011, Miyako was devastated by a tsunami caused by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake. Only about 30–60 boats survived from the town's 960 ship fishing fleet. A subsequent field study by the University of Tokyo's Earthquake Research Institute revealed that the waters had reached at least above sea level, almost equaling the record of the tsunami created by the 1896 Sanriku earthquake. The final reported death toll from the disaster was 420 confirmed dead, 92 missing, and 4,005 buildings destroyed. Some of the most iconic footage of the tsunami, repeatedly broadcast worldwide, was shot in Miyako. It shows a dark black wave cresting and overflowing a floodwall and tossing cars, followed by a fishing ship capsizing as it hit the submerged floodwall and then crushed as it was forced beneath a bridge.
Miyako, Iwate | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The area was badly affected by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Large portions of the coastal area including Sendai Airport was severely damaged by the tsunami. On March 14, rescue workers arrived in an area of Natori known as Yuriage and found few survivors, as much of the Yuriage area was wiped out. The population had 30 minutes between the earthquake and the tsunami and though many had time to escape city officials initially said it was impossible to determine the number of casualties.
Natori, Miyagi | Damage and casualties from 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
As of March 2011 it is not known if the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami is related to the 1978 Miyagi quake periodic sequence. Some involved geological research will be required to see if there is a relationship between the quake events. Notable linkages
1978 Miyagi earthquake | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
There were widespread landslides that caused extensive damage to highways and 1 death in the area around Sendai. 1,183 houses were completely destroyed within Miyagi Prefecture, with a further 5,574 partially destroyed. Soil liquefaction was observed in lands claimed by embankment. No damage was reported from the tsunami.
1978 Miyagi earthquake | Damage
As of late March, 8,800 temporary units were planned in Iwate, 10,000 in Miyagi, and 19,000 in Fukushima.
Aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Humanitarian crisis
Immediate aftermath accounts suggested 95 percent of the town was destroyed by the 2011 Japanese tsunami that followed the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake. Only the tallest buildings remained, and roughly half the population was unaccounted for during the days following the disaster; only 9,700 people were confirmed alive and evacuated in the first week. In late June 2011, a total of 1,206 were counted as dead or missing, according to the Kahoku Shinpou. The town had two evacuation centers where residents could go in the event of a tsunami, one on the southern headland overlooking the town, the other back from the center of the town.
Minamisanriku | 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster
Chiba City, Funabashi, Narashino, and especially Urayasu were greatly affected. As a result of permanent damage to housing stock due to soil liquefaction and evidence of radioactive materials, the population of Chiba Prefecture fell for the first time since 1920.
Chiba Prefecture | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
Matsushima Air Field of the Japan Self-Defense Force in Miyagi Prefecture was struck by the tsunami, flooding the base and resulting in damage to all 18 Mitsubishi F-2 fighter jets of the 21st Fighter Training Squadron. 12 of the aircraft were scrapped, while the remaining 6 were slated for repair at a cost of 80 billion yen ($1 billion), exceeding the original cost of the aircraft.
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Defense
Although the quake was located several miles offshore, moderate to very strong shaking was reported as far inland as Tokyo, about 333 km (207 mi) from its epicentre. Upon the detection of the earthquake, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning for Miyagi Prefecture, as well as tsunami alerts for Iwate Prefecture, Fukushima Prefecture, Aomori Prefecture, Ibaraki Prefecture and the Pacific Rim. Waves of between 0.5 and 1 m were anticipated, and residents along coastal areas were urged to evacuate. All warnings and alerts were canceled within 90 minutes, however. The tremor caused widespread power outages, with power still not restored to some 3.6 million households across several prefectures by 8 April.
April 2011 Miyagi earthquake | Damage and casualties
The earthquake triggered powerful tsunami waves that may have reached heights of up to in Miyako in Tōhoku's Iwate Prefecture, and which, in the Sendai area, traveled at and up to inland. Residents of Sendai had only eight to ten minutes of warning, and more than a hundred evacuation sites were washed away. The earthquake moved Honshu (the main island of Japan) east, shifted the Earth on its axis by estimates of between and , increased earth's rotational speed by 1.8 µs per day, and generated infrasound waves detected in perturbations of the low-orbiting Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer satellite.
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Introduction
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano later said, "In hindsight, we could have moved a little quicker in assessing the situation and coordinating all that information and provided it faster." Some ten days after the quake, reports began to emerge of incidents of looting and theft in quake and tsunami-hit areas. By 20 March 2011, 250 thefts, with ¥4.9 million (US$43 thousand) in merchandise stolen from stores and ¥5.8 million (US$52 thousand) in cash, were reported to the Miyagi Prefectural Police. Witnesses reported thieves stealing cash and bank books from smashed houses, looting goods from stores, and siphoning gas from abandoned or damaged vehicles.
Aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Citizens
Motoyoshi District was devastated by the magnitude 9.0 March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami which occurred off the coast of Japan; an estimated 9,500 people are reported missing from the town of Minamisanriku alone. Early estimates indicate that this could represent as much as 90% of the total casualties in Japan.
Motoyoshi District, Miyagi | History
Then Prime Minister Naoto Kan announced that the government had mobilized the Japan Self-Defense Forces in earthquake disaster zones. He asked the Japanese public to act calmly and tune into media for updated information. He reported that numerous nuclear power plants were automatically shut down to prevent damage and releases of radioactivity. He set up emergency headquarters in his office to coordinate the government's response. Evacuation shelters faced a shortage of potable water, food, blankets and bathroom facilities, as the government arranged these necessities to be delivered to where they were needed from areas of Japan and abroad. Dropping temperatures, due to the disruption in electrical and gas lines, caused further problems at shelters.
Aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Government
There was no damage to the Historic Monuments and Sites of Hiraizumi in Iwate Prefecture, and the recommendation for their inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List in June was seized upon as a symbol of international recognition and recovery.
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Cultural properties
After the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in March, prefectural and municipal elections in the most affected prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima and municipal (mayor and assembly) elections in Mito, Ibaraki were temporarily postponed. The elections for governor and assembly of Iwate were held on September 11, 2011. The assembly elections in Miyagi and Fukushima were held in November 2011.
2011 Japanese unified local elections | Background
The 11 March 2011 earthquake in Tohoku devastated many households in the prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima, where major power and water outages were reported. Rolling blackouts in some areas of the country that were not seriously affected by the earthquake would take place for the remainder of March; this required the analog auxiliary transmitters in the Kantō region to stop broadcasting for a short period of time. On 22 April 2011, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications announced that the shutdown of analog transmitters in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures would be postponed for up to a year following the original shutdown date of 24 July 2011 out of respect for the victims of the disaster; the television stations licensed to those three prefectures would be subsidized for half the cost of maintaining the old analog equipment.
Digital television transition in Japan | Tōhoku earthquake reaction
Onagawa was one of the most heavily damaged communities by the 11 March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The tsunami reached in excess of in height and swept inland, claiming 827 lives and destroying 70% of the buildings in the town. At least 12 of the town's 25 designated evacuation sites were inundated by the tsunami. The town's hospital located on a hill was extensively flooded on the first floor at the maximum recorded wave height of 18 meters. Six reinforced concrete buildings in the town of up to 4 stories in height were overturned by the force of the surging water and debris and Onagawa Station and its nearby railway tracks were also destroyed.
Onagawa, Miyagi | 2011 earthquake and tsunami
The database is the main repository for archival material related to the 2011 disasters and is also a hub for disaster records collected by various other municipalities and for records relating to other Japanese natural disasters. It provides access to more than 3,7 million records related to earthquakes and other natural disasters in Japan (notably the Kumamoto Earthquake). The records consist of reports, photographs, scientific papers, and many others. However, the content hosted by HINAGIKU might partly be in jeopardy. Indeed, considering the fact that many of the disaster archives that were built during the early months succeeding May 2011 entirely depended on temporary funds, many of those archives might close someday.
Aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | National Diet Library
Following the earthquake some analysts were predicting that the total recovery costs could reach ¥10 trillion ($122 billion); however, by 12 April 2011 the Japanese government estimated that the cost of just the direct material damage could exceed ¥25 trillion ($300 billion). Japan's real gross domestic product contracted 3.7% for the quarter of January to March 2011. The northern Tōhoku region, which was most affected, accounts for about 8% of the country's gross domestic product, with factories that manufacture products such as cars and beer, as well as energy infrastructure. It includes northern Miyagi prefecture, where Sendai is, about northeast of Tokyo.
Aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Japan
People were slowly able to return to their homes, find alternative rental accommodation or relocate to the homes of family members, leaving 715 people in three shelters by April 27 and 229 people in two shelters (the Kokusaimura and Community Centre) by June 3. By Mid-June, everyone had been moved out of evacuation centres into alternative existing accommodation or town-provided temporary housing.
Shichigahama | 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami
Portions of northeastern Japan shifted by as much as closer to North America, making some sections of Japan's landmass wider than before. Those areas of Japan closest to the epicenter experienced the largest shifts. A stretch of coastline dropped vertically by , allowing the tsunami to travel farther and faster onto land. One early estimate suggested that the Pacific plate may have moved westward by up to , and another early estimate put the amount of slippage at as much as 40 m (130 ft). On 6 April the Japanese coast guard said that the quake shifted the seabed near the epicenter and elevated the seabed off the coast of Miyagi Prefecture by .
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Geophysical effects
The occurred at 17:14 local time (08:14 UTC) on 12 June. It had a surface wave magnitude of 7.7, JMA magnitude 7.4, and triggered a small tsunami. The earthquake reached a maximum intensity of Shindo 5 in Sendai and caused 28 deaths and 1,325 injuries.
1978 Miyagi earthquake | Introduction
However, further natural disasters followed. On October 4, 1707, the Great Hoei earthquake again devastated Edo and Odawara, destroying much of what had been rebuilt from the earlier disaster. This was followed by the Hōei eruption of Mount Fuji in December, with volcanic ash raining on Edo and Odawara and repeated earthquakes. The following year the Sakawa River flooded due to sediment build-up resulting from the ash fall, and the crops failed. Some 104 villages in Ashigarakami District and 59 villages in Suntō District were rendered uninhabitable. Tadamasu appealed to the Tokugawa shogunate for assistance, and in response, the government annexed the disaster-struck portions of his territories as "tenryō" under the direct control of the central government, and provided Tadamasu for new territories with an assessed value of 60,000 "koku" scattered across the provinces of Izu, Mimasaka and Harima.
Ōkubo Tadamasu | Biography
The hypocentral region of this earthquake extended from offshore Iwate Prefecture to offshore Ibaraki Prefecture. The Japanese Meteorological Agency said that the earthquake may have ruptured the fault zone from Iwate to Ibaraki with a length of and a width of . Analysis showed that this earthquake consisted of a set of three events. Other major earthquakes with tsunamis struck the Sanriku Coast region in 1896 and in 1933. The source area of this earthquake has a relatively high coupling coefficient surrounded by areas of relatively low coupling coefficients in the west, north, and south. From the averaged coupling coefficient of 0.5–0.8 in the source area and the seismic moment, it was estimated that the slip deficit of this earthquake was accumulated over a period of 260–880 years, which is consistent with the recurrence interval of such great earthquakes estimated from the tsunami deposit data.
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Geology
Six medical crews in pairs of two were also sent to Kanagawa, Chiba and Gunma prefectures. Former Prime Minister Naoto Kan postponed a press conference scheduled for 17:50 JST marking the one-month anniversary of the catastrophic Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The Fukushima Hamadōri earthquake occurred in a region with historically low levels of seismicity; studies showed that the recent activity near the fault zone had been triggered by the Tōhoku earthquake. Ever since the earthquake triggered their reactivation, the Shionohira and Yunodake faults have provided essential data for local geological surveys on regional land deformation, sedimentary rock distribution and landslide vulnerability.
April 2011 Fukushima earthquake | Response
Around ¥40 million (US$358 thousand) was reportedly stolen from a bank in Kesennuma, Miyagi.
Aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Citizens
The area of present-day Minamisanriku was part of ancient Mutsu Province and came under the control of the Date clan of Sendai Domain during the Edo period, under the Tokugawa shogunate. The area has suffered from the effects of tsunami since ancient times, including the 869 Sanriku earthquake, and more recently during the 1896 Sanriku earthquake and the 1933 Sanriku earthquake. The 1896 earthquake resulted in the highest tsunami wave ever recorded in Japan at , until it was surpassed by a wave at Miyako in the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The villages of Shizukugawa and Utatsu were established on June 1, 1889 with the establishment of the modern municipalities system.
Minamisanriku | History
On Friday, March 11, 2011, 14:46 JST, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake occurred off the coast of Miyagi Prefecture. Shindo measurements throughout the prefecture reached as high as 6-upper in isolated regions of Hama-dōri on the eastern coast and as low as a 2 in portions of the Aizu region in the western part of the prefecture. Fukushima City, located in Naka-dōri and the capital of Fukushima Prefecture, measured 6-lower. Following the earthquake there were isolated reports of major damage to structures, including the failure of Fujinuma Dam as well as damage from landslides. The earthquake also triggered a massive tsunami that hit the eastern coast of the prefecture and caused widespread destruction and loss of life.
Fukushima Prefecture | Earthquake and tsunami
In this national crisis, the Japanese government provided Japanese Sign Language (JSL) interpreting at the press conferences related to the earthquake and tsunami. Television broadcasts of the press conferences of Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano included simultaneous JSL interpreters standing next to the Japanese flag on the same platform.
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Media coverage
The 1936 Miyagi earthquake occurred on November 3 at with a magnitude 7.2, or 7.4. The epicenter was located off the Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Four people were injured. Building damage was reported. In Isobe (磯部) village, nowadays part of Sōma, Fukushima, a small market building collapsed. A tsunami was recorded. This was one of the recurring interplate earthquakes at the offshore Miyagi with a recurrence interval of about 37 years. Although not officially named by the Japanese Meteorological Agency, in Japanese, this earthquake is commonly known as 1936年宮城県沖地震 ("Sen-kyūhyaku-sanjūroku-nen Miyagi-ken-oki Jishin") or 1936年金華山沖地震 ("Sen-kyūhyaku-sanjūroku-nen Kinkasan-oki Jishin").
1936 Miyagi earthquake | Introduction
Güzel said Sendai has turned into a ghost city in the aftermath of the quake disaster and ensuing tsunami and it may take long years for Japan to recover from the aftereffects of the disaster. Güzel noted that the humanitarian crisis in Japan may deteriorate if international aid is not provided to the country.
IHH (Turkish NGO) | Response to 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami
A tsunami warning was initially raised by the Japan Meteorological Agency, but was lifted after only two small waves several centimeters high hit shore. Casualties included those killed because of a pool roof collapse in Sendai city, Miyagi prefecture. Initial reports indicated 80 people were injured, but it was later reported by state broadcaster NHK that one person was seriously hurt and thirteen were slightly injured. Seventeen thousand people lost power. Twenty percent of the world's earthquakes are centered on Japan. The Japanese have been developing systems for early warning of earthquakes. For people of the city of Sendai who were testing the new earthquake warning system, they received a warning of the earthquake from the Meteorological Agency 16 seconds before it reached the city, providing time to take cover.
2005 Miyagi earthquake | Damage and casualties
Efforts by the National Diet Library were deployed toward the preservation of archival material related to the Great East Japan Earthquake. In 10 May, 2011, a panel of experts published its "Seven Principles for the Reconstruction Framework", with the first principle pressing the need to construct permanent memory of the natural disaster. In response, many municipal government put in place disaster archives. In July 2011, the Japanese government published its "Basic Guidelines for Reconstruction in Response to the Great East Japan Earthquake" and made a commitment in providing full access to its collected disaster records. This commitment led to the creation of the "National Diet Library Great East Japan Archives", otherwise known as HINAGIKU, in march 2013.
Aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | National Diet Library
Researchers have also analysed the economic effects of this earthquake and have developed models of the nationwide propagation via interfirm supply networks of the shock that originated in the Tōhoku region.
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Scientific and research response
The epicenter of the major Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on 11 March 2011 was located off the coast of Aji Island and Miyagi Prefecture. The Tōhoku region, including Aji island, suffered serious damage and further reduced the number of residents on an island already suffering from depopulation. The locals are now trying to rebuild the island and increase population levels. Agriculture is the main focus of the island's rejuvenation. Locals encourage agriculture and many of them have worked the fields themselves. The goal is for local farmers to make a living with their agriculture.
Aji Island | March 2011 earthquake
Business resumed within a day. Japan's Earthquake Research committee said that the earthquake was not the big one that was predicted to strike in the next 30 years. Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant was shut down, with reactor-1 restarting Jan 2006, 2 on March 2006, 3 in 2007.
2005 Miyagi earthquake | Aftermath
With the April 1, 1889 establishment of the post-Meiji restoration municipalities system, the area was divided between Natori District and Miyagi District of Miyagi Prefecture. The area was annexed by the city of Sendai in 1989. In the aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the area was severely damaged, especially in Arahama district, where almost all 2,700 houses were destroyed and swept away by tsunamis.
Wakabayashi-ku, Sendai | History
In an incident widely reported in the Chinese media, Mitsuru Sato, managing director of Sato Suisan, a fish processing company in the town, gave his life ensuring that all the firm's workers, including 20 female Chinese resident trainees, had evacuated safely to higher ground. Whereas the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant suffered insufficient cooling in the wake of the tsunami which led to three nuclear meltdowns and the release of radioactive material, the Onagawa nuclear generation facility, much closer to the earthquake epicenter, survived the earthquake without any significant damage and served as an emergency refuge for the local community.
Onagawa, Miyagi | 2011 earthquake and tsunami
Miyazaki Prefecture asked the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) to send a disaster relief delegation to the prefecture. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama participated in a memorial service for Minamata disease (a poisoning caused by industrial mercury pollution) in Kumamoto Pref which is located adjacent to Miyazaki Prefecture. During his visit, he made an inspection of a rush (tatami mat grass) farm, but never visited Miyazaki. On May 2, there were 15 infected cattle and 8,974 affected cattle due to be slaughtered. On May 3, the 17th infected animal was confirmed. 9,000 cattle were due to be slaughtered.
Japan foot-and-mouth outbreak | May 1 to 11
754 cultural properties were damaged across nineteen prefectures, including five National Treasures (at Zuigan-ji, Ōsaki Hachiman-gū, Shiramizu Amidadō, and Seihaku-ji); 160 Important Cultural Properties (including at Sendai Tōshō-gū, the Kōdōkan, and Entsū-in, with its western decorative motifs); one hundred and forty-four Monuments of Japan (including Matsushima, Takata-matsubara, Yūbikan, and the Site of Tagajō); six Groups of Traditional Buildings; and four Important Tangible Folk Cultural Properties. Stone monuments at the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Shrines and Temples of Nikkō were toppled. In Tokyo, there was damage to Koishikawa Kōrakuen, Rikugien, Hamarikyū Onshi Teien, and the walls of Edo Castle. Information on the condition of collections held by museums, libraries and archives is still incomplete.
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Cultural properties
During the aftermath of 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, YokosoNews interrupted its regular schedule and dedicated its broadcast to the latest news on the earthquake and developing nuclear accidents. They provided real time translations of both breaking news from major Japanese media outlets as well as the press conferences held by the government and its agencies, TEPCO and others. Starting in mid-April, YokosoNews began to provide weekly disaster updates.
YokosoNews | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The Kuriyama River was inundated by a tsunami caused by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on March 3, 2011. The tsunami traveled up the river. Flooding from the tsunami, while insignificant compared to other regions of Japan, damaged river embankments, homes and the Yamakuragawa Fishing Port across the lower part of the river.
Kuriyama River | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
In the Nara period, after the establishment of a centralized government under the "Ritsuryō" system, the Yamato court sent a number of military expeditions to what is now the Tōhoku region of northern Japan to bring the local Emishi tribes under its control. In what is now Miyagi Prefecture, a civil administration was established in the form of a provincial capital and regional administrative centers in the late 6th century; however, a massive Emishi uprising occurred in 709 AD during which time many of these structures were destroyed. Per the "Shoku Nihongi", following a huge earthquake in the year 715 AD, a large number of people migrated to this area from the southern Kantō region, forming numerous fortified settlements in the hinterland.
Taga Castle | History
In the 2011 Tōhoku Disaster (東北地方太平洋沖地震 "Tōhoku-chihō Taiheiyō Oki Jishin") on March 11, the large Shrine Torii (鳥居) gate was completely destroyed after it collapsed from the shock. Many of the shrine's large stone lanterns also fell over during the tremors and the water level of the pond at the back of the shrine also decreased. None of the treasures or Important Cultural Properties were damaged. In January 2012 construction of a new Torii (鳥居) gate began using Japanese Sugi (杉) Cedars from the grounds of the shrine. The work was scheduled to be completed in 2014.
Kashima Shrine | 2011 Tōhoku Earthquake
On 11 March 2011 at 2:46 p.m. local time, the town was badly damaged by the tsunami caused by the 2011 Tohoku-Pacific Great earthquake. The tsunami was as tall as 10 m as it hit the town, destroying the majority of homes in Shobutahama and Hanabuchihama, as well as washing away or severely damaging many houses and buildings in the other coastal neighborhoods. The town estimates that over 1,000 houses were destroyed or damaged beyond use. The wave reached over 2 km inland, flooding the fields in front of Koyo Junior High School and Shiomidai and scattering the debris of the homes from Shobutahama.
Shichigahama | 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami
On June 14, the 2008 Iwate earthquake struck the Tōhoku region of northeastern Honshū in Japan. Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) officially named this earthquake . This earthquake occurred in the south of the inland of Iwate Prefecture at 8:43 JST on June 14 (23:43 UTC on June 13). The JMA magnitude was estimated at M 7.2, and the moment magnitude by USGS was at 6.9. The epicenter was located at , about 85 kilometres (55 mi) north of Sendai and about 385 kilometres (240 mi) north-northeast of Tokyo. The strongest shaking was measured in the cities of Ōshū (Iwate) and Kurihara (Miyagi), both of which were measured as "strong 6" on the Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale, .
2008 Iwate–Miyagi Nairiku earthquake | Introduction
Rikuzentakata was almost completely destroyed by the tsunami following the Tōhoku earthquake. According to the police, every building smaller than three stories high was completely flooded, with buildings bigger than three stories high being flooded partially, one of the buildings being the city hall, where the water also reached as high as the third floor. The Japan Self-Defense Forces initially reported that between 300 and 400 bodies were found in the town. On 14 March, an illustrated BBC report showed a picture of the town, describing it as "almost completely flattened." The town's tsunami shelters were designed for a wave of three to four metres in height, but the tsunami of March 2011 created a wave 13 metres high which inundated the designated safe locations.
Rikuzentakata, Iwate | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
In the 1960s, ironworks, Steelmaking, cement, chemical industry, pulp, and petroleum refining industries began developing. The region is traditionally known as a less developed area of Japan. The catastrophic 9.0-Magnitude earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, inflicted massive damage along the east coast of this region, killed 15,894 people and was the costliest natural disaster ever which left 500,000 people homeless along with radioactive fallout from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
Tōhoku region | Contemporary period
Japan has had a long history of earthquake catastrophe and seismic activity. In the past twenty years, the most severe earthquake that occurred was the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.
Natural disasters in Japan | Earthquakes
Among several resources offered to help find earthquake survivors and obtain information about people in Japan are: Disaster Message Board Web171 operated by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone, the International Committee of the Red Cross, American Red Cross, Google Person Finder, websites of the Australian Embassy, US Department of State, UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the Honshū Quake wiki operated by the CrisisCommons volunteer community. On 27 March 2013, Google released street view imagery for the city of Namie within the exclusion zone, following requests from former residents.
Aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Information and support
On 11 March 2011, the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami occurred during the location of "Sand no Bonyarinu TV" at Kesennuma, which hit his partner Mikio Date and the programme staff. Although he took refuge at Azumi Mountain by the staff's instructions, a fire broke out after the town was flooded by the tsunami, and it became in a state where they could not go down the mountain. After that, they evacuated to a hotel lobby in Kesennuma. The next morning he reported on his blog that they were safe, and while he was headed for Tohoku Broadcasting, he was live on "Hiroshi Kume Radio nandesukedo".
Takeshi Tomizawa | Biography
On 11 March 2011, a 145,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Sendai was set ablaze by the Tōhoku earthquake. Workers were evacuated, but tsunami warnings hindered efforts to extinguish the fire until 14 March, when officials planned to do so.
JXTG Nippon Oil &amp; Energy | 2011 earthquake and tsunami
The city-owned plant for importing liquefied natural gas in Sendai was severely damaged, and supplies were halted for at least a month.
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Oil, gas and coal
On March 11, 2011, Higashi-Matsushima was severely hit by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami resulting in at least 1,039 deaths, and the destruction of over 11,000 structures, or approximately two-thirds of the buildings in the city limits. During the tsunami, a 45-metre ship, the "Chōkai Maru", was hurled over a pier and left aground in the city. At the time of the disaster, Higashi-Matsushima had still not fully recovered from a previous major earthquake in 2003. About 63% of the town was inundated by the tsunami.
Higashimatsushima | 2011 Earthquake disaster
Iwate Prefecture, which is an area at high risk from tsunami, had tsunami barriers walls (Taro sea wall) totalling long at coastal towns. The 2011 tsunami toppled more than 50% of the walls and caused catastrophic damage.
Tsunami | Mitigation
The earthquake occurred on Tuesday, August 16, 2005, and affected Japan's northeastern coast. It triggered a tsunami warning, and buildings shook 200 miles away in the capital, Tokyo. It was initially estimated to have a moment magnitude of 6.8, and the United States Geological Survey later declared it as a 7.2.
2005 Miyagi earthquake | Earthquake characteristics
Urayasu was greatly affected by the March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The reclaimed land across most of northern Chiba Prefecture was damaged by soil liquefaction in the earthquake. Urayasu, with major areas of reclaimed land, had as much as 85% of the utility infrastructure, roads, buildings, and houses damaged or affected to some degree by soil liquefaction. The damage cost the city approximately ¥73.4 billion to repair.
Urayasu | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
Approximately 95% of the town's rice fields were also flooded with seawater. Ninety Shichigahama townspeople were confirmed to have died in the tsunami, 58 in Shichigahama and 32 in other locations, 6 townspeople were still missing and 7 non-townspeople were confirmed to have died in Shichigahama. Power, water and natural gas lines were damaged and many roads were impassable for days and weeks, except to rescue workers and self-defense forces. During this time, relief was delivered to the town by aid agencies. The conditions varied considerably between centres due to difficulties with logistics and post-disaster organization. Over 4,000 people were initially evacuated to thirteen evacuation centres.
Shichigahama | 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami
Approximately 531,000 non-Japanese residing in Japan departed the country after the quake and tsunami, including approximately 25% of foreigners living in Tokyo. Foreigners living in Japan and the English-language media in Japan coined the term "flyjin" (or fly-jin), a play on the Japanese word gaijin, as a label for the non-Japanese who fled in the wake of the disaster. 9,720 dependents of United States military and government civilian employees in Japan fled the country, mainly to the United States. The United States spent $11.7 million on chartered aircraft to fly the dependents out of the country. The number of foreign residents in Japan dropped by 55,000 in 2011, with Iwate losing 15.5%, Fukushima 15.1%, and Miyagi 13.2% of their populations of non-Japanese.
Aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Non-citizen residents of Japan
The local community's reconstruction efforts, in many cases led by Onagawa private sector business leaders, have outpaced many larger towns impacted by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Within days of the disaster privately owned construction machinery were used to clear roads, a wholesale fish market was relaunched on 1 April and a reconstruction advisory board was formed shortly thereafter. In the aftermath of the tsunami local residents successfully established small scale grocery stores and retail food facilities in a series of temporary market structures. On March 21, 2015 the reconstructed Onagawa Station reopened marking the restoration of the entire Ishinomaki Line.
Onagawa, Miyagi | Post tsunami reconstruction
But there are 17,000 in the town. All the others have gone." Since the schools were all on high ground, many children were orphaned. Survivors wrote "SOS" in white lettering, in the playing field of Shizugawa High School.
Minamisanriku | 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster
On March 11, 2011, an earthquake measuring 9.0 occurred off Japan's east coast, resulting in a tsunami that claimed the lives of 15,883, and damaged the cooling system at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant. At the time, Kit Miyamoto was on a train near Ikebukuro station after delivering a speech on earthquake engineering at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, and had to walk with his family to the next station. He remained in Japan to assess the damage. He also provided technical advice regarding structural engineering issues at Sendai, an area that had been severely damaged.
Miyamoto International | 2011 Japan earthquake
This megathrust earthquake was a recurrence of the mechanism of the earlier 869 Sanriku earthquake, which has been estimated as having a magnitude of at least 8.4 M, which also created a large tsunami that inundated the Sendai plain. Three tsunami deposits have been identified within the Holocene sequence of the plain, all formed within the last 3,000 years, suggesting an 800 to 1,100 year recurrence interval for large tsunamigenic earthquakes. In 2001 it was reckoned that there was a high likelihood of a large tsunami hitting the Sendai plain as more than 1,100 years had then elapsed. In 2007, the probability of an earthquake with a magnitude of M 8.1–8.3 was estimated as 99% within the following 30 years.
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Geology
Local officials estimated that 20% to 40% of the town's population has been killed. Although the town was prepared for earthquakes and tsunamis and had a 6.5 metre high seawall, it was not enough and more than 80% of 8,000 houses were swept away. A BBC film dated 20 March reported that the harbour gates of the town failed to shut as the tsunami approached, and that 45 young firemen were swept away while attempting to close them manually. The same film reported that 500 bodies had been recovered in the town, but that 10,000 people were still unaccounted-for out of a population of 26,000.
Rikuzentakata, Iwate | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The village was spared from the devastation brought to other coastal communities following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami thanks to a floodgate that protected the town. The floodgate was built between 1972 and 1984 at a cost of ¥3.56 billion (approximately US$30 million in 2011) under the administration of Kotoku Wamura, the village mayor from 1947 to 1987. Initially derided as a waste of public funds, the floodgate protected the village and the inner cove from the worst of the tsunami waves. After the 2011 tsunami, the villagers gave thanks at Wamura's grave. The village's only casualty was one missing person who went to inspect his boat in the fishing port, located outside of the wall's protection, immediately after the earthquake.
Fudai, Iwate | 2011 tsunami
The largest earthquake in Japan's recorded history struck offshore on March 11, and police found as many as 300 bodies in the north-eastern coastal area that bore the brunt of the tremors and ensuing tsunami. The earthquake struck at 2:46 p.m. local time at a depth of 10 kilometres about 125 kilometres off the eastern coast, and was followed by at least 19 powerful aftershocks. CMAT's Rapid Assessment Team was activated, and conducted a needs assessment in the Miyagi Prefecture, around the city of Sendai to ascertain the level of devastation. This assessment included evaluating the destroyed infrastructure and surveying the health needs of the earthquake and tsunami affected victims in order to prepare for the potential deployment of CMAT's inflatable field hospital.
Canadian Medical Assistance Team | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Japan
Parts of Japan saw the devastating effects of tsunami in 2011. Rikuzentakata was reported to have been "wiped off the map" by the tsunami following the Tohoku earthquake. The town's tsunami shelters were designed for a wave of three to four metres in height, but the tsunami of March 2011 created a wave 13 metres high which inundated the designated safe locations. Although the town was well prepared for earthquakes and tsunamis and had a seawall, it was not enough, and more than 80% of 8,000 houses were swept away. Through the JENESYS programme the VLM students had the opportunity to visit the site at Rikuzentakata, where they supported the tsunami restoration work.
Post Graduate Programme for Executives for Visionary Leadership in Manufacturing (PGPEX-VLM) | Tsunami restoration work
Nuclear power plants within the region also suffered from the outages; two of three power lines supplying power to fuel coolers were cut off at the Onagawa power plant. Radioactive water consequently leaked out of spent fuel pools at three of its reactors, though no change in the radiation levels outside the plant was reported. Five coal-powered power plants also shut down, adding to concerns over energy shortages. Fukushima I power plant, which had earlier been struck by the 11 March quake, evacuated its workers as a safety precaution, but the plant sustained no damage. Four people were reported dead as a result of the earthquake, including an elderly woman in Yamagata Prefecture who lost power to her medical ventilator.
April 2011 Miyagi earthquake | Damage and casualties
Following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Japan received messages of condolence and offers of assistance from a range of international leaders. According to Japan's foreign ministry, 163 countries and regions, and 43 international organizations had offered assistance to Japan as of September 15, 2011. The magnitude of the earthquake was estimated at 9.1. This article is a list of charitable and humanitarian responses to the disaster from governments and non-governmental organizations. As of March 2012, donations to areas affected by the disaster totaled ¥520 billion and 930,000 people have assisted in disaster recovery efforts.
Humanitarian response to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Introduction
"* After Miyagi prefectural qualification tournament was canceled due to 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Miyagi Football Association proposed that Sony Sendai represent Miyagi Prefecture since it is the most successful amateur team in the prefecture and represented the prefecture last year." "Japan Football Association approved the proposal." ※Clubs that occupied two top places at the end of the 17th round (11th week) of 2011 Japan Football League.
2011 Emperor's Cup | Starting in the First Round
The accompanying tsunami caused damage along the entire coast from the Bōsō Peninsula in modern-day Chiba Prefecture to Tosa Province (modern-day Kōchi Prefecture). The earthquake and tsunami also struck Shimoda on Izu peninsula; and because the port had just been designated as the prospective location for a U.S. consulate, some construed the natural disasters as demonstration of the displeasure of the "kami". The 1854 Nankai earthquake followed on December 24, 1854, killing over 10,000 people from the Tōkai region down to Kyushu, and the 1855 earthquake in Edo, one of the Ansei great earthquakes, with resulting fire damage and loss of life.
Tokugawa Iesada | "Shōgun" (1853–1858)
, 336,521 people in Japan had been displaced from their homes and were residing elsewhere, including in 2,367 shelters. A Japanese urban search and rescue team sent to New Zealand following the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake was recalled. On 27 March 2011, Japan's National Police Agency reported that 14 of its officers had died in the line of duty in the disaster and a further 16 were missing.
Aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Government
A local tsunami was triggered by this earthquake. The recorded maximum height of the tsunami was in Miyako, which was about 55 cm. In Ayukawa, Miyagi Prefecture and in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, the tsunami was about 50 cm high. There was no report of damage caused by the tsunami.
1994 offshore Sanriku earthquake | Tsunami
Tomioka was severely affected by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, and the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011. Besides sustaining considerable damage from the earthquake, and the tsunami (which devastated the coastal area), the town was evacuated en masse on the morning of March 12 as it is located well within the 20 kilometer exclusion radius around the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Only one man, -year-old fifth-generation rice farmer Naoto Matsumura, with his dog, refused to evacuate, and remained behind to feed the pets and livestock left behind in his neighborhood with supplies donated by support groups.
Tomioka, Fukushima | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The submarine earthquake occurred at a focal depth of 49 km (30.4 mi) in the western Pacific Ocean on 7 April 2011 at 14:21 UTC, approximately 66 km (41 mi) east of Sendai. The quake was a direct result of thrust faulting on or near the subduction zone plate boundary between the Pacific and North American Plates. Initially estimated at a magnitude of 7.4, the tremor was felt in several areas near the east coast of Honshu as an aftershock of the 11 March magnitude 9.0 megathrust Tōhoku earthquake. The aftershock sequence of this event is ongoing since 11 March, and includes over 58 earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or greater up until 7 April 2011, with only two others of magnitude 7.0 or greater.
April 2011 Miyagi earthquake | Earthquake
Ōfunato hit the headlines again when it was heavily damaged in the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The wave was estimated to have reached 23.6 meters in height. Funneled in by the narrow bay, the tsunami continued inland for 3 kilometres. The town's theatre was one of very few buildings left standing (and remarkably, was undamaged) and gave shelter to about 250 survivors. Provisional counts listed 3,498 houses out of 15,138 houses in the town destroyed by the tsunami and 305 lives were confirmed lost. At least six of the town's 58 designated evacuation sites were inundated by the tsunami.
Ōfunato | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami happened on 11 March 2011. It started as a 9.0 undersea earthquake, that resulted in a tsunami which caused 15, 893 deaths, 6,152 injured and 2,572 people missing. Following the disaster, Mercy Relief raised $2.6 million for victims, where they spent on operations and logistics, buying essentials and radioactive protective suits for survivors. It camped out in disaster-stricken regions in Japan for 5 months, pumped $2.8 million to help victims of the disaster. This included distributing 5000 winter blankets in Ishinomaki, a city located in Miyagi. Mercy Relief, with the help of a Japanese volunteer, implemented the Tohoku Livelihood and Recovery program, an 8-month program which trains individuals to operate heavy machinery.
Mercy Relief | 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami
Following the 2011 Toho earthquake and tsunami, UC Rusal donated $600,000 to Japanese children's and cultural heritage foundations. These included the Ashinaga Foundation providing financial and educational support to children; the Yul Foundation supporting the learning process and psychological rehabilitation of pupils; and donations to the Ishinomori Mangattan Museum in Miyagi Prefecture for the city's reconstruction of cultural attractions.
Rusal | 2011 Japan earthquake
In Japan, the National Police Agency has confirmed and across twenty prefectures. In addition, some three thousands extra deaths have been identified as "earthquake-related deaths", bringing the total number of deaths caused by the disaster to 19,575 as of 2017 September. Of the 13,135 fatalities recovered by 11 April 2011, 12,143 or 92.5% died by drowning. Victims aged 60 or older accounted for 65.2% of the deaths, with 24% of total victims being in their 70s. As of March 2012, Japanese police data showed that 70% of the 3,279 still missing were aged 60 or over, all found, including 893 in their 70s and 577 in their 80s.
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Japan
In response to the widespread damage to transportation infrastructure, and the resulting effect on emergency response times in the disaster area, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport began designating special disaster prevention routes and reinforcing the roads and surrounding buildings so as to keep them as intact as possible in the event of another earthquake. Hyōgo's prefectural government invested millions of yen in the following years to build earthquake-proof shelters and supplies in public parks.
Great Hanshin earthquake | Disaster planning
The Japan Meteorological Agency's (JMA) early warning system, which uses seismometers, was able to alert millions of people across Japan about the impending earthquake via radio, mobile phone networks, including Docomo, AU, and SoftBank, and television, including both NHK channels and cable channels. The tsunami warning system alerted people shortly after, although the tsunami was larger than expected. In areas with infrastructure still intact, even though both landline and mobile phone lines were not functioning as might be expected, the Internet was still accessible. In the hardest hit areas, particularly Sendai and other areas of Miyagi, Iwate, and Fukushima Prefectures, satellite phones were often the only form of communication that functioned reliably.
Emergency communication system | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake
On March 11, 2011, the town was devastated by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami. The tsunami obliterated the harbor and low-lying areas, while higher parts of the town were spared, though they did suffer damage from the earthquake and the many aftershocks. About half the city was inundated by the tsunami. The tsunami destroyed all but 30 of 650 fishing boats and completely wiped-out the town's sea farm industry. City firemen manually closed the 12 water gates in the port's tsunami wall, but the wall was unable to hold back the waves. Eight city firemen were dead or missing.
Ōtsuchi, Iwate | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami affected areas as far south as Chiba Prefecture. While the loss of life and damage to housing and industry was far less than in the Tōhoku region, 20 people were killed in Chiba Prefecture, mostly from the tsunami that hit Asahi to the northeast of the prefecture and caused 13 deaths. An oil refinery fire, widely seen in the news media following the Tōhoku earthquake, was at the Cosmo Oil Chiba Refinery in Ichihara. Large liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanks burned from March 11–21, 2011. Soil liquefaction in areas of reclaimed land across the northern and western areas of Chiba Prefecture caused damage, primarily to housing.
Chiba Prefecture | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
As of 31 August 2011, 799 residents of the town were confirmed dead, with 608 others still missing, about 10% of the town's total population of 16,000. The University of Tokyo's ICRC sustained extensive damage during the tsunami with water reaching the laboratories on the third floor.
Ōtsuchi, Iwate | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
Japan specifically requested teams from Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and the United States; it also requested, via its space agency JAXA, the activation of the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters, allowing diverse satellite imagery of affected regions to be readily shared with rescue and aid organizations.
Aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Request for assistance
The Japanese authorities advised people from the coastal region of Fukushima to evacuate immediately due to a possible tsunami with waves of up to . Waves of up to a meter in height struck the Fukushima coast about an hour after the earthquake, and public broadcaster NHK reported the presence of a tsunami of at Sendai, the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture.
2016 Fukushima earthquake | Tsunami
In the immediate aftermath of the calamity, at least 1.5 million households were reported to have lost access to water supplies. By 21 March 2011, this number fell to 1.04 million.
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Dams and water problems
Japan's national public broadcaster, NHK, and Japan Satellite Television suspended their usual programming to provide ongoing coverage of the situation. Other nationwide Japanese and international TV networks also broadcast uninterrupted coverage of the disaster. Ustream Asia broadcast live feeds of NHK, Tokyo Broadcasting System, Nippon TV, Fuji TV, TV Asahi, TV Tokyo, Tokyo MX, TV Kanagawa, and CNN on the Internet starting on 12 March 2011. YokosoNews, an Internet webcast in Japan, dedicated its broadcast to the latest news gathered from Japanese news stations, translating them in real time to English. It was noted that the Japanese news media has been at times overly cautious to avoid panic and reliance on confusing statements by experts and officials.
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Media coverage
The 2005 Miyagi earthquake struck the east coast of the Japanese island of Honshū at 11.46 am (02:46 UTC) on August 16, causing casualties, building collapses and power outages. The event registered 7.2 on the moment magnitude scale.
2005 Miyagi earthquake | Introduction
In the late Nara period, after the establishment of a centralized government under the "Ritsuryō" system, the Yamato court sent a number of military expeditions to what is now the Tōhoku region of northern Japan to bring the local Emishi tribes under its control. After the establishment of Taga Castle, Yamato forces gradually pushed into the hinterland of what is now Miyagi Prefecture, establishing several fortified settlements against increasing Emishi opposition. The ruins of a very large fortification were discovered during construction work on the Tōhoku Expressway in 1974, and the site was excavated by the Miyagi Prefectural Board of Education from 1974-1977.
Miyazawa Site | Overview