Great East Japan Earthquake (M9.0) — Mar 11, 2011
Off Miyagi (Sanriku offshore)
Magnitude
M9.0
Recovery
10+ yr
Peak news
2,100art.
Japan's largest recorded earthquake at M9.0. Massive tsunamis over 14 m struck the Miyagi, Iwate, and Fukushima coasts, with isolated run-up exceeding 40 m. Over 22,000 dead or missing. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant suffered hydrogen explosions and core meltdowns. Widespread infrastructure damage across Tohoku and Kanto.
22,212 dead or missing, 6,242 injured (National Police Agency, March 2023)
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14:46
M9.0 earthquake struck off Miyagi Prefecture coast, depth 24 km
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14:49
JMA issued major tsunami warnings for Miyagi, Iwate, and Fukushima
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15:27
First tsunami waves reached Miyagi coast (max height 14.5 m+)
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15:36
Fukushima Daiichi lost external power; emergency diesel generators started
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15:41
Tsunami flooded the plant site, disabling emergency generators — cooling lost
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3월 12일
Fukushima Daiichi Unit 1 hydrogen explosion; 20 km evacuation ordered
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3월 15일
Tohoku Shinkansen resumed south of Nasushiobara (partial)
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4월 29일
Tohoku Shinkansen fully resumed (49 days after quake)
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9월 23일
Tohoku Shinkansen returned to normal timetable (196 days after quake)
Airport
Sendai Airport completely flooded and closed by tsunami (~1 month). Some Narita/Haneda flights cancelled on the day. Massive outbound rush by foreign visitors.
Shinkansen / Rail
Entire Tohoku Shinkansen suspended. Four deadhead trains derailed (no injuries). Partial service south of Nasushiobara resumed Mar 15; full line Apr 29.
Accommodation
Extensive damage to Tohoku accommodation; many converted to evacuation shelters. Tokyo hotels saw sharp drop in foreign bookings due to aftershock fears.
Other
Planned rolling blackouts across Greater Tokyo (March–April). Tohoku Expressway under emergency restriction. Multiple foreign governments issued Japan travel advisories.