About the Great East Japan Earthquake
We will introduce materials and websites related to the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Table of Contents
1. Preface
The Great East Japan Earthquake refers to the disaster caused by the Tohoku Pacific Ocean Earthquake that occurred on March 11, 2011, and the resulting nuclear power plant accident. With a magnitude of 9.0, it was the largest earthquake ever recorded in Japan. This massive earthquake triggered a massive tsunami across Japan, and furthermore, caused an accident at a nuclear power plant, resulting in an unprecedented, complex disaster. The disaster claimed approximately 20,000 lives and caused residential damage, with approximately 120,000 buildings completely destroyed and 280,000 partially destroyed.
The National Diet Library has established the "National Diet Library Great East Japan Earthquake Archive (nicknamed HINAGIKU)" to make records of the Great East Japan Earthquake accessible to anyone, both in Japan and overseas, in a unified manner. This page introduces content such as videos and photos contained in databases linked to HINAGIKU. For details, please see the pages for each linked database.
2. Damage situation
2.1. Earthquake damage
The earthquake's shaking was observed over a wide area, with a seismic intensity of 7 in Kurihara City, Miyagi Prefecture, and a seismic intensity of 6+ in Miyagi, Fukushima, Ibaraki, and Tochigi Prefectures. In addition, earthquakes of seismic intensity 1 or higher were observed from Hokkaido to the Kyushu region.
2.2. Damage caused by the tsunami
Three minutes after the main shock, a tsunami warning was issued for Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures, and a tsunami exceeding 9 meters in height was observed. This massive tsunami caused extensive damage over a wide area and resulted in the loss of many lives.
2.3. Rescue and search operations
At its peak, as many as 100,000 personnel were dispatched from the Self-Defense Forces, as well as numerous officers and medical staff from the police, fire departments, and the Japan Coast Guard, who engaged in search and rescue and recovery support activities in the affected areas.
3. The state of the victims and support
The earthquake caused major damage to electricity, gas, water, communications, etc. At its peak, the number of evacuees due to the earthquake, including those due to the nuclear accident, reached approximately 410,000 in the three prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima, and approximately 470,000 nationwide.
4. Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident
As a result of this earthquake, the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant lost all power, and suffered damage to the reactor core, hydrogen explosions, and radioactive material leaks. Various efforts are currently underway to decommission the plant. Furthermore, decontamination work has been carried out in various locations to address environmental contamination caused by radioactive materials released as a result of the accident.
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident
Decontamination Work
5. Recovery and reconstruction
Immediately after the disaster, many people worked hard to deal with the enormous damage. Approximately three months after the disaster, electricity, gas, water, and information and communications services were almost completely restored, except for areas within the restricted areas around the nuclear power plant. Efforts are also being made to preserve records and memories of the Great East Japan Earthquake and pass them on to future generations. In addition to archiving personal accounts and testimonies of the time, record-keeping activities such as storytelling and efforts toward reconstruction are also being recorded.
Recovery and reconstruction
Records and memories
Disaster Memorial Facilities
6. How to search on HINAGIKU
In addition to the content introduced above, HINAGIKU allows you to search for a variety of materials related to the earthquake disaster by narrowing down your search. Here are some search examples.
Search materials by theme
Gallery and database
7. Introduction to websites related to the Great East Japan Earthquake (external link)
- 内閣府「特集 東日本大震災」
- This book provides an overview of the Great East Japan Earthquake, the extent of the damage, the government's response, support from overseas, evacuation centers and evacuees, support activities, the mechanisms of earthquakes, and the mechanisms of tsunamis, with accompanying images.
- 警察庁「東日本大震災に伴う警察措置」
- This document describes police measures following the Great East Japan Earthquake, police activities in the areas surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant to ensure safety and order in the affected areas, and efforts toward reconstruction.
- 復興庁「復興庁 東日本大震災発災10年ポータルサイト」
- To mark the 10th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, photos and videos were used to disseminate information about the state of reconstruction in the affected areas, the appeal of Tohoku, and the memories and lessons of the disaster.
- 消防庁「東日本大震災記録集」
- This book collects and investigates information on the damage caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake, the activities of firefighting agencies, and the experiences of firefighting personnel who worked on the ground, and contains records and valuable lessons learned from these investigations.
- 農林水産省「東日本大震災からの農林水産業の復興支援のための取組」
- This document describes efforts to support the recovery of the agriculture, forestry and fisheries industries following the Great East Japan Earthquake, including recovery and reconstruction from the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster.
- 国土交通省「東日本大震災の記録―国土交通省の災害対応―」
- With the one-year anniversary of the earthquake approaching, this report compiled a record of the damage caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake, its characteristics, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's disaster response during that time.
- 気象庁「平成23年(2011年)東北地方太平洋沖地震」
- This site contains information about the 2011 Tohoku Pacific Ocean Earthquake, including observation and analysis data, the status of aftershock activity over five years, and related publications.
- 環境省「東日本大震災への対応」
- In response to the Great East Japan Earthquake, materials on disaster waste management, etc. were posted, as well as materials on how to deal with radioactive materials from the nuclear power plant accident.
- 防衛省・自衛隊「東日本大震災への対応」
- This is the final summary of lessons learned from the response to the Great East Japan Earthquake, press conferences, related materials, and the status of the Self-Defense Forces' activities in response to the Tohoku Pacific Ocean Earthquake.
- 岩手県「東日本大震災津波の記録誌等」
- This magazine contains records of activities in Iwate Prefecture in response to the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, disaster response verification reports, records of evacuee support activities, and records of efforts toward recovery and reconstruction.
- 宮城県「東日本大震災の概況」
- This site provides an overview of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, as well as images and photographs of the damage and conditions, the evacuation status of victims, and the support provided.
- 福島県「東日本大震災・原子力災害 10年の記録」
- To mark the 10th anniversary of the earthquake and nuclear accident, this magazine widely disseminates information about the reconstruction efforts made up to that point and the voices of the prefecture's residents, and also contains records and memories of the earthquake.























































