The 2011 earthquake, tsunami and Fukushima
A magnitude 9.0 earthquake triggers a tsunami that kills about 18,000 people and causes three reactor meltdowns at Fukushima Daiichi.
- 3.11: Disaster and Change in Japan — Richard J. Samuels, Cornell University Press (2013)
- Great East Japan Earthquake: Progress to date — Reconstruction Agency, Government of Japan (2024)
- Japan in Transformation, 1945–2010 (2nd edition) — Jeff Kingston, Pearson (2011)
At 2:46 p.m. on 11 March 2011 a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck off the coast of Tōhoku in northeastern Japan, the most powerful ever recorded in the country. Within an hour tsunami waves, in places more than 30 metres high, swept over coastal towns. About 15,900 people were confirmed dead and around 2,500 are still missing, and thousands more later died of disaster-related causes such as illness and stress in evacuation.
- Great East Japan Earthquake: Progress to date — Reconstruction Agency, Government of Japan (2024)
- 3.11: Disaster and Change in Japan — Richard J. Samuels, Cornell University Press (2013)
At the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, the tsunami knocked out power and cooling, and three reactors melted down. Well over 100,000 people were evacuated from surrounding areas. An independent Diet commission concluded the accident was “man-made”, rooted in collusion between the operator, regulators and government.
- 3.11: Disaster and Change in Japan — Richard J. Samuels, Cornell University Press (2013)
- Japan in Transformation, 1945–2010 (2nd edition) — Jeff Kingston, Pearson (2011)
Japan’s response mixed impressive discipline and mutual aid with official failures. All nuclear plants were shut down for safety reviews; some have since restarted. Since 2023, treated water from the plant has been released into the sea, with approval from the IAEA, prompting China to ban Japanese seafood imports.
- 3.11: Disaster and Change in Japan — Richard J. Samuels, Cornell University Press (2013)
- Great East Japan Earthquake: Progress to date — Reconstruction Agency, Government of Japan (2024)
Why it matters today
"3.11" is a shared national trauma. It left lasting distrust of the nuclear industry and the authorities, displaced communities, many never to return, and a renewed emphasis on *kizuna*, the bonds between people. The release of treated water from the plant since 2023 remains a dispute with China.