Japan case study

• The Tohoku earthquake happened in 2011, specifically on Friday the 11th of March
• The earthquake measured 9 on the Richter scale, making it one of the most intense earthquakes
• The epicenter was approximately 70 kilometers off the coast of Tohoku
• Primary effects


  1. Aftershocks

  2. Debris (22 million tons)

  3. Damage ($14.5 - $34.6 billion)

  4. Deaths (22,000+)
• Secondary effects


  1. Tsunami (5-8 meters high, up to 40.5 meters in some places, went 10 km inland)

  2. Threat to nuclear power (Fukushima accident)

  3. Damage to infrastructure (railways, airports)

  4. Impact on UK (Nissan plant shutdown)
• Short-term responses


  1. Evacuation of 140,000 people

  2. Shutting down 55 nuclear reactors

  3. Use of mass graves

  4. Revisiting earthquake drills

  5. Providing aid and supplies to 140,000 people
• Long-term responses


  1. Manufacturers (Toyota, Sony) relocating abroad due to risks

  2. Railway repairs taking until September

  3. Fishing industry recovering to 20% of previous capacity within 6 months
• Cause of the 2011 earthquake

  1. Pacific Ocean plate being subducted underneath the continental plate

  2. Friction built up between the two plates

  3. Plates slipped, releasing huge amounts of energy
• Earthquake details

  • Magnitude 8.9 on the Richter scale
  • 129 km from Sendai
  • 177 km from Fukushima and Yamagata
  • 373 km from Tokyo
  • Shallow depth of 32 km
• Tsunami details

  • Measured approximately 14 meters in height
  • Hit the coast of Honshu and flooded many areas of Japan
• Cause of the tsunami

  1. Subducting plate became stuck

  2. Continental plate became distorted

  3. When force reached critical level, stuck area ruptured, releasing earthquake energy

  4. Land pushed upwards, creating the tsunami wave
• Tsunami waves travel at incredible speeds, hitting the coast of California between 9-12 hours after the earthquake and the coast of South America about 21 hours after the event
• Social effects


  • Over 15,000 people died
  • Over 6,000 people injured
  • 2,500 people missing
  • Hundreds of thousands made homeless
  • Shortages of food, water and fuel
  • Rolling blackouts due to damaged nuclear power plants
  • Abnormal radiation levels in water, vegetables, milk and fish
• Economic effects


  • Estimated economic damage of 16-25 trillion yen (approx. $316 billion)
  • Many companies forced to shut down
  • Damage to industrial production
  • Plummeting of Japanese yen due to speculation
  • Insurance industry heavily hit
  • Lack of electricity capacity in Tokyo region
• Environmental effects


  • Contamination of drinking water and environment
  • Radioactive material from Fukushima nuclear plant entering food chain
  • Fires and loss of wildlife
• The Fukushima nuclear power plant was damaged by the tsunami, leading to an explosion and radioactive cloud release