The earthquake struck on 11 March 2011, when a magnitude 9.1 tremor occurred off Japan's northeast coast, generating a tsunami that moved inland with destructive force. Waves reaching 40 metres damaged communities along the Tōhoku shoreline, claiming 19,759 lives and leaving 2,553 missing.
Fourteen years later, amid fresh seismic activity—like the 7.6 quake on 8 December 2025—the 11 March disaster remains a stark reminder of Japan's vulnerability to earthquakes and tsunamis.
