A Chicago-based commemoration project for the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, remembering the victims of disaster and documenting the region's recovery.
The Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
At 2:46 pm, March 11, 2011, a sudden, severe shaking, lasting for approximately six minutes, disturbed the peaceful Friday afternoon in Japan's Tohoku region. This earthquake was recognized as magnitude 9.0-9.1, making it the most powerful earthquake in Japan’s recorded history. And unfortunately, the quake was not the end. Its epicenter, located in the Pacific Ocean, 45 miles east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tohoku region, caused a vast tsunami that hit the eastern coast of Japan, including Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima Prefectures.
The tsunami, like the megathrust earthquake, was marked as the most significant tsunami to ever strike Japan. The tsunami submerged areas miles away from the ocean, destroyed coastal cities, and triggered the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Over 20,000 people were killed, injured, or went missing. The economic loss of the region is inestimable. Even today, years after, the region and the country of Japan are still recovering from this major trauma.
For more information:
​113 Project:
A series of short films showcasing the rebuilding of Tohoku after the disaster, through the eyes of locals.
Teach311 + Covid- 19 is a collection of resources from educators, researchers. artists, students and survivors that focus on understanding disasters through collaboration and communication.
Japan Disaster Digital Archive
This archive is a search engine for global material surrounding the Great East Japan Earthquake.
This site connects individuals, groups, and facilities through education and by spreading awareness about the disaster and ways to prepare in the future.
Japanese Government Reconstruction Agency Site
This is the principal site of the agency of the Government of Japan and contains information and updates regarding the reconstruction process after the Great East Japan Earthquake.
3.11 Japanese Language Learning Project
This site provides numerous educational materials to help teach those who are learning Japanese and about Japan about the Great East Japan Earthquake. It contains various lesson plans and helpful information.
Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum
This is the website for the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museums and contains records of events and lessons about the disaster and the recovery effort.
Great East Japan Earthquake Archive Miyagi
This archive contains digitized earthquake related documents collected from all parts of the Miyagi prefecture.