Then and Now: The Scars of Japan’s 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami

It all started with an earthquake. 

At 2:46pm, the ground underneath Japan’s Tohoku residents convulsed for 3 minutes. The 9.0-magnitude earthquake, the strongest on record in Japan, triggered a tsunami that measured as high as 30 meters in some areas. That’s a 9-story building. Waves rippled inland, swallowing homes, schools, people in its wake. The natural disasters killed more than 18,000 people and triggered the meltdown of nearby nuclear power plants. The triple disaster forced more than 160,000 to evacuate. 10 years later, a quarter of residents still can’t return home. 

These photos compare how much wreckage Japan’s Tohoku region endured. A decade on, residents are still recovering. 

The earthquake, tsunami and widespread fires killed 1,152 people in Kensennuma, Miyagi Prefecture. 214 people are still missing.

Over 3,000 died in Ishinomiyaki, Miyagi Prefecture. This district lost more lives than any other.

On March 15, four days after the triple disaster, the Japanese government urged Japanese citizens nationwide to stop panic-buying food and supplies. Officials were worried hoarding would affect the government’s ability to deliver emergency supplies to disaster zones.

Reconstruction efforts during this past decade have rebuilt some towns devastated by the disaster. But for some regions, empty roads and open fields are now the norm.

Namie town in Fukushima Prefecture was inside what officials designated a “difficult-to-return” zone. Areas within 20 kilometers of the Daiichi nuclear power plant were evacuated, in fear of nuclear poisoning. In 2017, these restrictions were lifted for Namie town, but 90 percent of residents haven’t returned.

In Rikuzentakata, where more than 1,700 residents died, a tree dubbed “Miracle Pine” stands as a symbol of hope for the region. The lone pine tree survived the tsunami 10 years ago, and now serves as a memorial.

Okawa Elementary School lost 74 children and 10 staff on March 11, 2011. About 4 kilometers off the coast, the school was overwhelmed by the tsunami before many could escape to higher ground.

Reconstruction efforts for Japan’s Tohoku region are far from over. 2,525 people are still missing, over 40,000 are still relocated. The region looks for hope, amidst the rubble, but never forgetting the suffering they endured.

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