The Great East Japan Earthquake: Turning Memories Into Preparedness

Fifteen years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake. After the magnitude 9.1 tremor, on March 11, 2011, a massive tsunami surged ashore, its muddy torrent engulfing the town and sweeping away lives and livelihoods in an instant.

15,901 people lost their lives. And 2,519 remain missing to this day. While time has passed, the grief of the bereaved families has never faded.

In the disaster-affected regions, infrastructure such as roads and seawalls has largely been rebuilt. But restoring fulfilling lives and the vitality of local communities is far from easy.

Likewise, support for emotional recovery must be sustained to enable those affected to live in hope.

Passing Down the Lessons

Passing on the lessons of the disaster has also become a major challenge. As reconstruction progresses, opportunities to see the disaster sites are steadily diminishing.

While oral history initiatives and preserved disaster structures are increasingly important, concerns are growing about declining public interest and a shortage of people to maintain these efforts.

*Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture, flooded by the tsunami caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake, March 12, 2011. (Courtesy of Rikuzentakata City)*

As Japanese society ages and the number of births continues to decline, intergenerational bridging is vital. Children born after the disaster will soon enter high school. To that end, the experiences and lessons of the disaster need to be passed on to the younger generation, to nurture future stewards of tradition and disaster preparedness.

Above all, the crucial lesson is, when you feel a tremor, run immediately to higher ground. This wisdom has been passed down in the Sanriku region since the Meiji era, and whether people act on it or not has often meant the difference between life and death.

*At Higashiyuenchi Park in Kobe City, people observe a moment of silence at the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake, at 2:46 PM on March 11. (©Sankei by Yasushi Kawamura)*

Strengthening Disaster Preparedness

The risk of tsunamis remains ever-present in the Tohoku region, as evidenced by the warnings issued in 2025. Massive magnitude 9 earthquakes and tsunamis are also anticipated along the Nankai Trough and the Kuril Trench off Hokkaido, making widespread awareness of the importance of early evacuation crucial to saving lives.

In the wake of the unprecedented 2011 earthquake, disaster prevention measures for worst-case scenarios have advanced nationwide. However, efforts to reduce the projected death toll from a Nankai Trough earthquake are showing noticeable delays.

The government has scrapped its Tokai earthquake prediction program and replaced it with the more realistic Nankai Trough Earthquake Extra Information alert system.

Major earthquakes along the Nankai Trough and the Kuril Trench are widely considered likely within the next 30 years. Japan's newly established Disaster Management Agency will be tested on whether it can steadily advance disaster mitigation measures.

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Fukushima's Long Road to Recovery

Meanwhile, in Fukushima Prefecture, the site of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station disaster, parts of seven municipalities remain designated as difficult-to-return zones. Although the final disposal of decontaminated soil is to be carried out outside the prefecture, no progress has been made in selecting a disposal site.

Experimental removal of melted fuel debris from the damaged reactors has begun, but the path to decommissioning remains long and arduous.

*View from a helicopter of the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant on the day the release of treated water into the ocean began (©Kyodo)*

Following the accident, nuclear power plants were subjected to stricter safety inspections, and some have gradually resumed operations. Yet incidents raising suspicions of neglected safety measures have also occurred.

With the incumbent government promoting an energy policy that maximizes the use of nuclear energy, power companies now bear a heavier responsibility.

Remembering to Be Prepared

In July 2025, a magnitude-8.7 earthquake accompanied by a tsunami struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula, just 70 years after a previous event in the region. That quake challenged the long-held seismological assumption that such giant earthquakes occur only once every several hundred years.

Those who lost family members in the tsunami or were forced to leave their hometowns continue to live with deep emotional scars. Around 26,000 people remain displaced.

Remembering the lives lost and those affected by all disasters helps protect our own lives and families. It is difficult to prevent memories from fading. But if Japan can turn the lessons learned into stronger preparedness, awareness will endure.

Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun

(Read this article in Japanese)