Honshu ( 本州 , Honshū , pronounced [hoꜜɰ̃ɕɯː] ; lit. ' main island ' ) , historically called Akitsushima ( 秋津島 , lit. ' Dragonfly island ' ) , is the largest and most populous island of Japan . It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait , north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea , and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits . The island separates the Sea of Japan , which lies to its north and west, from the North Pacific Ocean to the south and east. It is the seventh-largest island in the world, and the second-most populous after the Indonesian island of Java .
92-432: The Tōhoku region ( 東北地方 , Tōhoku-chihō , IPA: [toːhokɯ̥ tɕiꜜhoː] ) , Northeast region , Ōu region ( 奥羽地方 , Ōu-chihō ) , or Northeast Japan ( 東北日本 , Tōhoku Nihon ) consists of the northeastern portion of Honshu , the largest island of Japan . This traditional region consists of six prefectures ( ken ): Akita , Aomori , Fukushima , Iwate , Miyagi , and Yamagata . Tōhoku retains
184-815: A tsunami . It is sometimes known in Japan as the " Great East Japan Earthquake " ( 東日本大震災 , Higashi nihon daishinsai ) , among other names. The disaster is often referred to by its numerical date, 3.11 (read san ten ichi-ichi in Japanese). It was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japan , and the fourth most powerful earthquake recorded in the world since modern seismography began in 1900. The earthquake triggered powerful tsunami waves that may have reached heights of up to 40.5 meters (133 ft) in Miyako in Tōhoku's Iwate Prefecture , and which, in
276-519: A 7.7 M w quake at 15:26 all occurred on 11 March. A month later, a major aftershock struck offshore on 7 April with a magnitude of 7.1 M w . Its epicenter was underwater, 66 km (41 mi) off the coast of Sendai. The Japan Meteorological Agency assigned a magnitude of 7.4 M JMA , while the United States Geological Survey lowered it to 7.1 M w . At least four people were killed, and electricity
368-572: A Japanese noble family that ruled the Tōhoku region during the 12th century as their own realm. They kept their independence vis-a-vis the Imperial Court in Kyoto by the strength of their warrior bands until they were overwhelmed by Minamoto no Yoritomo in 1189. Date Masamune (1567–1636), feudal lord of Date clan , expanded trade in the Tōhoku region. Although initially faced with attacks by hostile clans, he managed to overcome them after
460-455: A certain magnitude (magnitude 8 on the JMA scale); that is, in the case of very large earthquakes, the scales' values change little despite large differences in the earthquakes' energy. This resulted in an underestimation of the tsunami's height in initial reports. Problems in issuing updates also contributed to delays in evacuations. The warning system was supposed to be updated about 15 minutes after
552-717: A few defeats and eventually ruled one of the largest fiefdoms of the later Tokugawa shogunate . He built many palaces and worked on many projects to beautify the region. He is also known to have encouraged foreigners to come to his land. Even though he funded and promoted an envoy to establish relations with the Pope in Rome, he was likely motivated at least in part by a desire for foreign technology, similar to that of other lords, such as Oda Nobunaga . He showed sympathy for Christian missionaries and traders in Japan. In addition to allowing them to come and preach in his province, he also released
644-520: A magnitude of at least 8.4 M w , which also created a large tsunami that inundated the Sendai plain. Three tsunami deposits have been identified within the Holocene sequence of the plain, all formed within the last 3,000 years, suggesting an 800 to 1,100 year recurrence interval for large tsunamigenic earthquakes. In 2001 it was reckoned that there was a high likelihood of a large tsunami hitting
736-662: A quarter of all paddy fields in Japan. Chiba Prefecture is famous for its peanuts, also being the largest producer in Japan. Rare species of the lichen genus Menegazzia are found only in Honshu. Most of Japan's tea and silk is from Honshu. Japan's three largest industrial regions are all located on Honshu: the Keihin region , the Hanshin Industrial Region , and the Chūkyō Industrial Area . Honshu
828-610: A reputation as a remote, scenic region with a harsh climate . In the 20th century, tourism became a major industry in the Tōhoku region. In mythological times, the area was known as Azuma (吾妻, あづま) and corresponded to the area of Honshu occupied by the native Emishi and Ainu . The area was historically the Dewa and the Michinoku regions, a term first recorded in Hitachi-no-kuni Fudoki ( 常陸国風土記 ) (654). There
920-535: A result of the quake. The report also stated that the quake had caused several major landslides on the seabed in the affected area. The Earth's axis shifted by estimates of between 10 and 25 cm (4 and 10 in). This deviation led to a number of small planetary changes, including the length of a day , the tilt of the Earth , and the Chandler wobble . The speed of the Earth's rotation increased, shortening
1012-466: A series of tiny islands, was praised for its beauty and serenity by the wandering haiku poet Matsuo Bashō . The haiku poet Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694) wrote Oku no Hosomichi ( The Narrow Road to the Deep North ) during his travels through Tōhoku. In the 1960s, ironworks , steelmaking , cement , chemical industry , pulp , and petroleum refining industries began developing. The region
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#17327796129331104-478: A small tsunami was recorded after a 7.1 M w aftershock. As of 16 March 2012 aftershocks continued, totaling 1887 events over magnitude 4.0; a regularly updated map showing all shocks of magnitude 4.5 and above near or off the east coast of Honshu in the last seven days showed over 20 events. As of 11 March 2016 there had been 869 aftershocks of 5.0 M w or greater, 118 of 6.0 M w or greater, and 9 over 7.0 M w as reported by
1196-467: A timely warning, the initial earthquake and tsunami warning that was issued for the event was based on a calculation that requires only about three minutes. This calculation is, in turn, based on the maximum amplitude of the seismic wave. The amplitude of the seismic wave is measured using the JMA magnitude scale , which is similar to Richter scale . However, these scales "saturate" for earthquakes that are above
1288-399: A total area of approximately 561 square kilometers (217 sq mi) in Japan. The earthquake took place at 14:46 JST (UTC 05:46) around 67 kilometers (42 mi) from the nearest point on Japan's coastline, and initial estimates indicated the tsunami would have taken 10 to 30 minutes to reach the areas first affected, and then areas farther north and south based on the geography of
1380-401: A tsunami warning, data from GPS tidal meters as well as from undersea water pressure meters, and there are plans to install more of these meters and to develop further technology to utilize data observed by them. To prevent under-reporting of tsunami heights, early quantitative observation data that are smaller than the expected amplitude will be overridden and the public will instead be told that
1472-496: A width of 200 km (120 mi). Analysis showed that this earthquake consisted of a set of three events. Other major earthquakes with tsunamis struck the Sanriku Coast region in 1896 and in 1933 . The source area of this earthquake has a relatively high coupling coefficient surrounded by areas of relatively low coupling coefficients in the west, north, and south. From the averaged coupling coefficient of 0.5–0.8 in
1564-542: Is believed that the early warning by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) saved many lives. The warning for the general public was delivered about eight seconds after the first P wave was detected, or about 31 seconds after the earthquake occurred. However, the estimated intensities were smaller than the actual ones in some places, especially in Kanto, Koshinetsu , and Northern Tōhoku regions where
1656-688: Is colder than in other parts of Honshū due to the stronger effect of the Siberian High , and permits only one crop a year on paddy fields. The Pacific coast of Tohoku, however, is generally much less snowy than the region's popular image and has among the smallest seasonal temperature variation in Japan. The city of Iwaki, for instance, has daily mean temperatures ranging from 3.0 °C (37.4 °F) in January to 23.9 °C (75.0 °F) in August. The population decline of Tōhoku, which began before
1748-474: Is deemed the record in Japan historically, as of reporting date, that exceeds 38.2 meters (125 ft) from the 1896 Sanriku earthquake . It was also estimated that the tsunami reached heights of up to 40.5 meters (133 ft) in Miyako in Tōhoku's Iwate Prefecture. The inundated areas closely matched those of the 869 Sanriku tsunami . Inundation heights were observed along 2,000 kilometers (1,200 mi) of
1840-447: Is hilly or mountainous, with the Ōu Mountains running north–south. The inland location of many of the region's lowlands has led to a concentration of much of the population there. Coupled with coastlines that do not favor seaport development, this settlement pattern resulted in a much greater than usual dependence on land and rail transportation. Low points in the central mountain range make communications between lowlands on either side of
1932-472: Is home to a large portion of Japan's minimal mineral reserves, including small oil and coal deposits. Several coal deposits are located in the northern part of the island, concentrated in Fukushima Prefecture and Niigata Prefecture , though Honshu's coal production is negligible in comparison to Hokkaido and Kyushu . Most of Japan's oil reserves are also located in northern Honshu, along
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#17327796129332024-513: Is roughly 1,300 km (810 mi) long and ranges from 50 to 230 km (31 to 143 mi) wide, and its total area is 227,960 km (88,020 sq mi), making it slightly larger than the island of Great Britain . Its land area has been increasing with land reclamation and coastal uplift in the north due to plate tectonics with a convergent boundary . Honshu has 10,084 kilometres (6,266 mi) of coastline. Mountainous and volcanic, Honshu experiences frequent earthquakes (such as
2116-412: Is seismically active, and is home to 40 active volcanoes. In 2011, an earthquake of magnitude 9.0–9.1 occurred off the coast of Honshu, generating tsunami waves up to 40.5 meters (133 ft) high and killing 19,747. It was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japan , and the fourth most powerful earthquake in the world since modern record-keeping began in 1900. The tsunami subsequently led to
2208-508: Is some variation in modern usage of the term "Michinoku". Tōhoku's initial historical settlement occurred between the seventh and ninth centuries, well after Japanese civilization and culture had become firmly established in central and southwestern Japan. The last stronghold of the indigenous Emishi on Honshu and the site of many battles , the region has maintained a degree of autonomy from Kyoto at various times throughout history. The Northern Fujiwara (奥州藤原氏 Ōshū Fujiwara-shi ) were
2300-475: Is traditionally known as a less developed area of Japan. The catastrophic 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, inflicted massive damage along the east coast of this region, causing 19,759 deaths, and was the costliest natural disaster ever which left 500,000 people homeless along with radioactive emissions from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster . Tōhoku, like most of Japan,
2392-543: The Great Kantō earthquake , which heavily damaged Tokyo in September 1923; and the earthquake of March 2011 , which moved the northeastern part of the island by varying amounts of as much as 5.3 m (17 ft) while causing devastating tsunamis). The highest peak is the active volcano Mount Fuji at 3,776 m (12,388 ft), which makes Honshu the world's 7th highest island . There are many rivers, including
2484-728: The Kurushima Kaikyō Bridge ; Shimotsui-Seto Bridge , Hitsuishijima Bridge , Iwakurojima Bridge , Yoshima Bridge , Kita Bisan-Seto Bridge , and the Minami Bisan-Seto Bridge ), the Seikan Tunnel connects Honshu with Hokkaidō, and the Kanmonkyo Bridge and Kanmon Tunnel connect Honshu with Kyūshū . These are notable flora and fauna of Honshu. Being on the Ring of Fire , the island of Honshu
2576-680: The Ogasawara Islands , Sado Island , Izu Ōshima , and Awaji Island . The regions and their prefectures are: 2011 T%C5%8Dhoku earthquake and tsunami On 11 March 2011, at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC ), a M w 9.0–9.1 undersea megathrust earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, 72 km (45 mi) east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region . It lasted approximately six minutes and caused
2668-518: The Oshika Peninsula of Tōhoku , Japan, lasting approximately six minutes. The earthquake was initially reported as 7.9 M w by the USGS before it was quickly upgraded to 8.8 M w , then to 8.9 M w , and then finally to 9.0 M w . On 11 July 2016, the USGS further upgraded the earthquake to 9.1. Sendai was the nearest major city to the earthquake, 130 km (81 mi) from
2760-471: The Sendai area, traveled at 700 km/h (435 mph) and up to 10 km (6 mi) inland. Residents of Sendai had only eight to ten minutes of warning, and more than a hundred evacuation sites were washed away. The snowfall which accompanied the tsunami and the freezing temperature hindered rescue works greatly; for instance, Ishinomaki , the city with the most deaths, was 0 °C (32 °F) as
2852-533: The Shinano River , Japan's longest. The Japanese Alps span the width of Honshu, from the 'Sea of Japan' coast to the Pacific shore. The climate is generally humid subtropical in western Japan and humid continental in the north. Honshu has a total population of 104 million people, according to a 2017 estimate, 81.3% of the entire population of Japan. The largest city is Tokyo (population: 13,988,129),
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2944-500: The costliest natural disaster in history . According to a 2020 study, "the earthquake and its aftermaths resulted in a 0.47 percentage point decline in Japan's real GDP growth in the year following the disaster." The magnitude 9.1 ( M w ) undersea megathrust earthquake occurred on 11 March 2011 at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) in the north-western Pacific Ocean at a relatively shallow depth of 32 km (20 mi), with its epicenter approximately 72 km (45 mi) east of
3036-544: The 2004 Indian Ocean quake. Japan's National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED) calculated a peak ground acceleration of 2.99 g (29.33 m/s ). The largest individual recording in Japan was 2.7 g , in Miyagi Prefecture, 75 km from the epicenter; the highest reading in the Tokyo metropolitan area was 0.16 g . The strong ground motion registered at
3128-493: The Earthquake Early Warning system and the actual intensities occurred in the aftershocks and triggered earthquakes. Such discrepancies in the warning were attributed by the JMA to the system's inability to distinguish between two different earthquakes that happened at around same time, as well as to the reduced number of reporting seismometers due to power outages and connection failures. The system's software
3220-399: The JMA bulletin also included the caveat that "At some parts of the coasts, tsunamis may be higher than those observed at the observation sites." The timing of the earliest recorded tsunami maximum readings ranged from 15:12 to 15:21, between 26 and 35 minutes after the earthquake had struck. The bulletin also included initial tsunami observation details, as well as more detailed maps for
3312-427: The JMA magnitude scale to saturate, no quantitative prediction will be released in the initial warning; instead, there will be words that describe the situation's emergency. There are plans to install new teleseismometers with the ability to measure larger earthquakes, which would allow the calculation of a quake's moment magnitude scale in a timely manner. JMA also implemented a simpler empirical method to integrate, into
3404-576: The Japanese Meteorological Agency. The number of aftershocks was associated with decreased health across Japan. On 13 February 2021, a magnitude 7.1–7.3 earthquake struck off the coast of Sendai. It caused some damage in Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures. One person was killed, and 185 were injured. The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan reported land subsidence based on the height of triangulation stations in
3496-706: The Japanese coast guard said that the quake shifted the seabed near the epicenter 24 meters (79 ft) and elevated the seabed off the coast of Miyagi Prefecture by 3 meters (9.8 ft). A report by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology , published in Science on 2 December 2011, concluded that the seabed in the area between the epicenter and the Japan Trench moved 50 meters (160 ft) east-southeast and rose about 7 meters (23 ft) as
3588-402: The Pacific Ocean region reaching the entire Pacific coast of North and South America from Alaska to Chile . Warnings were issued and evacuations were carried out in many countries bordering the Pacific. Although the tsunami affected many of these places, the heights of the waves were minor. Chile's Pacific coast, one of the farthest from Japan at about 17,000 kilometers (11,000 mi) away,
3680-547: The Sendai plain as more than 1,100 years had then elapsed. In 2007, the probability of an earthquake with a magnitude of M w 8.1–8.3 was estimated as 99% within the following 30 years. This earthquake occurred where the Pacific plate is subducting under the plate beneath northern Honshu. The Pacific plate, which moves at a rate of 8 to 9 cm (3.1 to 3.5 in) per year, dips under Honshu's underlying plate, building large amounts of elastic energy . This motion pushes
3772-401: The accumulated energy. In the area near the trench, the coupling coefficient is high, which could act as the source of the large tsunami. Most of the foreshocks are interplate earthquakes with thrust-type focal mechanisms. Both interplate and intraplate earthquakes appeared in the aftershocks offshore Sanriku coast with considerable proportions. The surface energy of the seismic waves from
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3864-520: The area measured by GPS as compared to their previous values from 14 April 2011. Scientists say that the subsidence is permanent. As a result, the communities in question are now more susceptible to flooding during high tides. One minute before the earthquake was felt in Tokyo, the Earthquake Early Warning system, which includes more than 1,000 seismometers in Japan, sent out warnings of impending strong shaking to millions. It
3956-415: The area of the Honshu rupture is not very straight, it is unusual for the magnitude of its earthquake to exceed 8.5 M w. The hypocentral region of this earthquake extended from offshore Iwate Prefecture to offshore Ibaraki Prefecture . The Japanese Meteorological Agency said that the earthquake may have ruptured the fault zone from Iwate to Ibaraki with a length of 500 km (310 mi) and
4048-424: The associated evacuation zones affecting hundreds of thousands of residents. Many electrical generators ran out of fuel. The loss of electrical power halted cooling systems, causing heat to build up. The heat build-up caused the generation of hydrogen gas. Without ventilation, gas accumulated within the upper refueling hall and eventually exploded causing the refueling hall's blast panels to be forcefully ejected from
4140-608: The capital of Japan and part of the Greater Tokyo Area , the most populous metropolitan area in the world. Honshu is connected to the islands of Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku by tunnels and bridges. Three bridge systems have been built across the islands of the Inland Sea between Honshu and Shikoku ( Akashi Kaikyo Bridge and the Ōnaruto Bridge ; Shin-Onomichi Bridge , Innoshima Bridge , Ikuchi Bridge , Tatara Bridge , Ōmishima Bridge , Hakata–Ōshima Bridge , and
4232-518: The coast from Hokkaido to Kyushu in a 2012 study. Maximum run-up heights greater than 10 meters (33 ft) were distributed along 530 kilometers (330 mi) of coast, and maximum run-up heights greater than 20 meters (66 ft) were distributed along 200 kilometers (120 mi) of the coast, measured directly. The tsunami resulted in significant erosion of the Rikuzen-Takata coastline, mainly caused by backwash. A 2016 study indicated that
4324-461: The coast has not naturally recovered at a desirable rate since the tsunami. A Japanese government study found that 58% of people in coastal areas in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures heeded tsunami warnings immediately after the quake and headed for higher ground. Of those who attempted to evacuate after hearing the warning, only five percent were caught in the tsunami. Of those who did not heed
4416-531: The coastline. At 15:55 JST, a tsunami was observed flooding Sendai Airport , which is located near the coast of Miyagi Prefecture , with waves sweeping away cars and planes and flooding various buildings as they traveled inland. The impact of the tsunami in and around Sendai Airport was filmed by an NHK News helicopter, showing a number of vehicles on local roads trying to escape the approaching wave and being engulfed by it. A 4-meter-high (13 ft) tsunami hit Iwate Prefecture . Wakabayashi Ward in Sendai
4508-428: The coastlines affected by the tsunami waves. JMA also reported offshore tsunami height recorded by telemetry from moored GPS wave-height meter buoys as follows: On 25 March 2011, Port and Airport Research Institute (PARI) reported tsunami height by visiting the port sites as follows: The tsunami at Ryōri Bay ( 綾里湾 ), Ōfunato reached a height of 40.1 meters (132 ft) (run-up elevation). Fishing equipment
4600-476: The day by 1.8 microseconds due to the redistribution of Earth's mass. The axial shift was caused by the redistribution of mass on the Earth's surface, which changed the planet's moment of inertia . Because of conservation of angular momentum , such changes of inertia result in small changes to the Earth's rate of rotation. These are expected changes for an earthquake of this magnitude. The earthquake also generated infrasound waves detected by perturbations in
4692-505: The earthquake caused such a dramatic change in the Earth's rotation came from the United States Geological Survey which monitors Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) stations across the world. The Survey team had several GPS monitors located near the scene of the earthquake. The GPS station located nearest the epicenter moved almost 4 m (13 ft). This motivated government researchers to look into other ways
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#17327796129334784-497: The earthquake may have had large scale effects on the planet. Calculations at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory determined that the Earth's rotation was changed by the earthquake to the point where the days are now 1.8 microseconds shorter. Japan experienced over 1,000 aftershocks since the earthquake, with 80 registering over magnitude 6.0 M w and several of which have been over magnitude 7.0 M w . A magnitude 7.4 M w at 15:08 (JST), 7.9 M w at 15:15 and
4876-401: The earthquake occurred, by which time the calculation for the moment magnitude scale would normally be completed. However, the strong quake had exceeded the measurement limit of all of the teleseismometers within Japan, and thus it was impossible to calculate the moment magnitude based on data from those seismometers. Another cause of delayed evacuations was the release of the second update on
4968-441: The earthquake was calculated to be 1.9×10 joules , which is nearly double that of the 9.1 M w 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that killed 230,000 people. If harnessed, the seismic energy from this earthquake would power a city the size of Los Angeles for an entire year. The seismic moment (M 0 ), which represents a physical size for the event, was calculated by the USGS at 3.9×10 joules, slightly less than
5060-719: The economy along the northwestern Sea of Japan coast is largely based on fishing and agriculture. The island is linked to the other three major Japanese islands by a number of bridges and tunnels. The island primarily shares two climates, with Northern Honshu having a mainly humid continental climate while the south has a humid subtropical climate . The name of the island, Honshū ( 本州 ) , directly translates to "main province" or "original land" in English. Humans first arrived in Honshu approximately 37,000 years ago, and likely earlier. The first humans to arrive in Honshu were Stone Age hunter-gatherers from Northeast Asia, likely following
5152-431: The epicenter experienced the largest shifts. A 400-kilometer (250 mi) stretch of coastline dropped vertically by 0.6 meters (2 ft 0 in), allowing the tsunami to travel farther and faster onto land. One early estimate suggested that the Pacific plate may have moved westward by up to 20 meters (66 ft), and another early estimate put the amount of slippage at as much as 40 m (130 ft). On 6 April,
5244-434: The epicenter; the earthquake occurred 373 km (232 mi) northeast of Tokyo . The main earthquake was preceded by a number of large foreshocks , with hundreds of aftershocks reported. One of the first major foreshocks was a 7.2 M w event on 9 March, approximately 40 km (25 mi) from the epicenter of the 11 March earthquake, with another three on the same day in excess of 6.0 M w . Following
5336-406: The highest possible tsunami. Because tsunami walls had been overtopped , the committee also suggested, besides building taller tsunami walls, also teaching citizens how to evacuate if a large-scale tsunami should strike. Large parts of Kuji and the southern section of Ōfunato including the port area were almost entirely destroyed. Also largely destroyed was Rikuzentakata , where the tsunami
5428-541: The island includes several past Japanese capitals, including Kyōto , Nara , and Kamakura . Much of the island's southern shore forms part of the Taiheiyō Belt , a megalopolis that spans several of the Japanese islands. Honshu contains Japan's highest mountain, Mount Fuji, and its largest lake, Lake Biwa . Most of Japan's industry is located in a belt running along Honshu's southern coast, from Tokyo to Nagoya , Kyōto , Osaka , Kobe , and Hiroshima ; by contrast,
5520-436: The low-orbiting Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer satellite. Initially, the earthquake caused sinking of part of Honshu's Pacific coast by up to roughly a meter, but after about three years, the coast rose back and then kept on rising to exceed its original height. This megathrust earthquake was a recurrence of the mechanism of the earlier 869 Sanriku earthquake , which has been estimated as having
5612-408: The main earthquake on 11 March, a 7.4 M w aftershock was reported at 15:08 JST (6:06 UTC), succeeded by a 7.9 M w at 15:15 JST (6:16 UTC) and a 7.7 M w at 15:26 JST (6:26 UTC). Over 800 aftershocks of magnitude 4.5 M w or greater occurred after the initial quake. Aftershocks followed Omori's law , which states that the rate of aftershocks declines with the reciprocal of
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#17327796129335704-706: The main shock hit Japan, and continued to occur for 3 hours, during which waves of up to 1.5 meters high were observed. Soil liquefaction was evident in areas of reclaimed land around Tokyo, particularly in Urayasu , Chiba City , Funabashi , Narashino (all in Chiba Prefecture ) and in the Koto , Edogawa , Minato , Chūō , and Ōta Wards of Tokyo. Approximately 30 homes or buildings were destroyed and 1,046 other buildings were damaged to varying degrees. Nearby Haneda Airport , built mostly on reclaimed land,
5796-648: The maximum of 7 on the Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale in Kurihara , Miyagi Prefecture . Three other prefectures— Fukushima , Ibaraki and Tochigi —recorded a 6 upper on the JMA scale. Seismic stations in Iwate , Gunma , Saitama and Chiba Prefecture measured a 6 lower, recording a 5 upper in Tokyo. Portions of northeastern Japan shifted by as much as 2.4 meters (7 ft 10 in) closer to North America, making some sections of Japan's landmass wider than before. Those areas of Japan closest to
5888-617: The meltdown of 3 nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant , leading to the Fukushima nuclear disaster . Honshu island generates around US$ 3.5 trillion or more than 80% of Japan's GDP . Fruit, vegetables, grains, rice and cotton make up the main produce grown in Honshu. The Tohoku region, spanning the north-eastern part of the island, is notable for its rice production, with 65% of cultivated land being rice paddy fields – almost
5980-786: The migration of ice age megafauna . Surviving artifacts from this period include finely-crafted stone blades, similar to those found in Siberia . Honshu was the target of devastating air raids during the Pacific War of World War II . The first air raid to strike Honshu and the other home islands was the Doolittle Raid . With the introduction of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress , the firebombing of Tokyo culminated in Operation Meetinghouse ,
6072-640: The most destructive air raid in human history, which destroyed 16 square miles (41 km ; 10,000 acres) of central Tokyo , leaving an estimated 100,000 civilians dead, and over one million homeless. The war ended with the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki shortly before Japan's surrender and signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender on September 2, 1945, on board the USS ; Missouri (BB-63) in Tokyo Bay . The island
6164-741: The most heavily used. The San'yō Shinkansen , connects the two largest cities in western Japan, Shin-Osaka in Osaka with Hakata Station in Fukuoka . Both the Tokaido Shinkansen and the Sanyo Shinkansen help form a continuous high-speed railway through the Taiheiyō Belt megalopolis. The island is divided into five nominal regions and contains 34 prefectures, including metropolitan Tokyo. Administratively, some smaller islands are included within these prefectures, notably including
6256-479: The most populated, but today Miyagi is the most populated and urban by far. Honshu Honshu had a population of 104 million as of 2017 , constituting 81.3% of the entire population of Japan, and mostly concentrated in the coastal areas and plains. Approximately 30% of the total population resides in the Greater Tokyo Area on the Kantō Plain . As the historical center of Japanese cultural and political power,
6348-443: The north to Ōarai, Ibaraki , in the south, with most of the destruction in that area occurring in the hour following the earthquake. Near Ōarai, people captured images of a huge whirlpool that had been generated by the tsunami. The tsunami washed away the sole bridge to Miyatojima, Miyagi, isolating the island's 900 residents. A 2 meters (6 ft 7 in) high tsunami hit Chiba Prefecture about 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 hours after
6440-511: The orbit of the GOCE satellite, which thus serendipitously became the first seismograph in orbit. Following the earthquake, cracks were observed to have formed in the roof of Mount Fuji 's magma chamber . Seiches observed in Sognefjorden , Norway were attributed to distant S waves and Love waves generated by the earthquake. These seiches began to occur roughly half an hour after
6532-462: The populace warning did not trigger. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency , reasons for the underestimation include a saturated magnitude scale when using maximum amplitude as input, failure to fully take into account the area of the hypocenter , and the initial amplitude of the earthquake being less than that which would be predicted by an empirical relationship. There were also cases where large differences between estimated intensities by
6624-465: The prisoner and missionary Padre Sotelo from the hands of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Date Masamune allowed Sotelo as well as other missionaries to practice their religion and win converts in Tōhoku. Further, once Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543–1616) outlawed Christianity, Masamune reversed his position, and though disliking it, let Ieyasu persecute Christians in his domain. For 270 years, Tōhoku remained a place of tourism, trade and prosperity. Matsushima , for instance,
6716-524: The quake, causing heavy damage to cities such as Asahi . On 13 March 2011, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) published details of tsunami observations recorded around the coastline of Japan following the earthquake. These observations included tsunami maximum readings of over 3 meters (9.8 ft) at the following locations and times on 11 March 2011, following the earthquake at 14:46 JST: Many areas were also affected by waves of 1 to 3 meters (3 ft 3 in to 9 ft 10 in) in height, and
6808-578: The range moderately easy. Tōhoku was traditionally considered the granary of Japan because it supplied Sendai and the Tokyo - Yokohama market with rice and other farming commodities. Tōhoku provided 20 percent of the nation's rice crop. The most often used subdivision of the region is dividing it to "North Tōhoku" ( 北東北 , Kita-Tōhoku ) consisting of Aomori, Akita, and Iwate Prefectures and "South Tōhoku" ( 南東北 , Minami-Tōhoku ) consisting of Yamagata, Miyagi, and Fukushima Prefectures. The climate
6900-478: The source area and the seismic moment, it was estimated that the slip deficit of this earthquake was accumulated over a period of 260–880 years, which is consistent with the recurrence interval of such great earthquakes estimated from the tsunami deposit data. The seismic moment of this earthquake accounts for about 93% of the estimated cumulative moment from 1926 to March 2011. Hence, earthquakes in this area with magnitudes of about 7 since 1926 had only released part of
6992-722: The structure. Residents within a 20 km (12 mi) radius of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and a 10 km (6.2 mi) radius of the Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Plant were evacuated. Early estimates placed insured losses from the earthquake alone at US$ 14.5 to $ 34.6 billion. The Bank of Japan offered ¥ 15 trillion (US$ 183 billion) to the banking system on 14 March 2011 in an effort to normalize market conditions. The estimated economic damages amounted to over $ 300 billion, making it
7084-476: The time since the main quake. The aftershocks thus tapered off over time, but continued for years after the initial quake, including one on 26 October 2013 (local time) of magnitude 7.1 M w . The earthquake moved Honshu 2.4 m (8 ft) east, shifted the Earth on its axis by estimates of between 10 and 25 cm (4 and 10 in), increased Earth's rotational speed by 1.8 μs per day, and generated infrasound waves detected in perturbations of
7176-600: The town by 14 March 2011. Among the factors in the high death toll was the unexpectedly large water surge. The sea walls in several cities had been built to protect against tsunamis of much lower heights. Also, many people caught in the tsunami thought they were on high enough ground to be safe. According to a special committee on disaster prevention designated by the Japanese government, the tsunami protection policy had been intended to deal with only tsunamis that had been scientifically proved to occur repeatedly. The committee advised that future policy should be to protect against
7268-497: The tsunami hit. The official figures released in 2021 reported 19,759 deaths, 6,242 injured, and 2,553 people missing, and a report from 2015 indicated 228,863 people were still living away from their home in either temporary housing or due to permanent relocation. The tsunami caused the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster , primarily the meltdowns of three of its reactors, the discharge of radioactive water in Fukushima and
7360-454: The tsunami warning long after the earthquake (28 minutes, according to observations); by that time, power failures and similar circumstances reportedly prevented the update from reaching some residents. Also, observed data from tidal meters that were located off the coast were not fully reflected in the second warning. Furthermore, shortly after the earthquake, some wave meters reported a fluctuation of "20 centimeters (7.9 in)", and this value
7452-428: The upper plate down until the accumulated stress causes a seismic slip-rupture event. The break caused the sea floor to rise by several meters. The magnitude of this earthquake was a surprise to some seismologists. A quake of this magnitude usually has a rupture length of at least 500 km (310 mi) and generally requires a long, relatively straight fault surface. Because the plate boundary and subduction zone in
7544-420: The warning, 49% were hit by the water. Delayed evacuations in response to the warnings had a number of causes. The tsunami height that had been initially predicted by the tsunami warning system was lower than the actual tsunami height; this error contributed to the delayed escape of some residents. The discrepancy arose as follows: in order to produce a quick prediction of a tsunami's height and thus to provide
7636-404: The west coast, spanning Niigata, Yamagata , and Akita Prefectures. Most of Japan's copper, lead, zinc and chromite is located on Honshu, along with smaller, scattered deposits of gold, silver, arsenic, sulfur and pyrite . The Tokaido Shinkansen , opened in 1964 between Tokyo and Shin-Ōsaka , is Japan's first high-speed rail line. It is the world's oldest high-speed rail line and one of
7728-413: The year 2000, has accelerated, now including previously dynamic Miyagi . Despite this, Sendai City has grown, in part due to relocations of people affected by the 2011 disaster. The population decline of Aomori, Iwate and Akita Prefectures, Honshu's three northernmost, began in the early 1980s after an initial loss of population in the late 1950s. Fukushima Prefecture, prior to 1980, had traditionally been
7820-484: Was also particularly hard hit. At least 101 designated tsunami evacuation sites were hit by the wave. Like the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami , the damage by surging water, though much more localized, was far more deadly and destructive than the actual quake. Entire towns were destroyed in tsunami-hit areas in Japan, including 9,500 missing in Minamisanriku ; one thousand bodies had been recovered in
7912-413: Was broadcast throughout the mass media and the warning system, which caused some residents to underestimate the danger of their situation and even delayed or suspended their evacuation. In response to the aforementioned shortcomings in the tsunami warning system, JMA began an investigation in 2011 and updated their system in 2013. In the updated system, for a powerful earthquake that is capable of causing
8004-433: Was cut off across much of northern Japan including the loss of external power to Higashidōri Nuclear Power Plant and Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant . Four days later on 11 April, another magnitude 7.1 M w aftershock struck Fukushima, causing additional damage and killing a total of three people. On 7 December 2012 a large aftershock of magnitude 7.3 M w caused a minor tsunami, and again on 26 October 2013
8096-619: Was not damaged. Odaiba also experienced liquefaction, but damage was minimal. Shinmoedake , a volcano in Kyushu , erupted three days after the earthquake. The volcano had previously erupted in January 2011; it is not known if the later eruption was linked to the earthquake. In Antarctica , the seismic waves from the earthquake were reported to have caused the Whillans Ice Stream to slip by about 0.5 meters (1 ft 8 in). The first sign international researchers had that
8188-502: Was scattered on the high cliff above the bay. At Tarō, Iwate , the tsunami reached a height of 37.9 meters (124 ft) up the slope of a mountain some 200 meters (660 ft) away from the coastline . Also, at the slope of a nearby mountain from 400 meters (1,300 ft) away at Aneyoshi fishery port ( 姉吉漁港 ) of Omoe peninsula ( 重茂半島 ) in Miyako, Iwate , Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology found estimated tsunami run up height of 38.9 meters (128 ft). This height
8280-471: Was struck by waves 2 meters (6.6 ft) high, compared with an estimated wave height of 38.9 meters (128 ft) at Omoe peninsula, Miyako city, Japan. The tsunami warning issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency was the most serious on its warning scale; it was rated as a "major tsunami", being at least 3 meters (9.8 ft) high. The actual height prediction varied, the greatest being for Miyagi at 6 meters (20 ft) high. The tsunami inundated
8372-435: Was subsequently modified to handle this kind of situation. An upthrust of 6 to 8 meters (20 to 26 ft) along a 180-kilometer (110 mi)-wide seabed at 60 kilometers (37 mi) offshore from the east coast of Tōhoku resulted in a major tsunami that brought destruction along the Pacific coastline of Japan's northern islands. Thousands of people died and entire towns were devastated. The tsunami propagated throughout
8464-687: Was three stories high. Other cities destroyed or heavily damaged by the tsunami include Kamaishi , Miyako , Ōtsuchi , and Yamada (in Iwate Prefecture), Namie , Sōma , and Minamisōma (in Fukushima Prefecture) and Shichigahama , Higashimatsushima , Onagawa , Natori , Ishinomaki , and Kesennuma (in Miyagi Prefecture). The most severe effects of the tsunami were felt along a 670-kilometer-long (420 mi) stretch of coastline from Erimo, Hokkaido , in
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