On this date, Japan experienced one of the worst natural disasters in the form of one of the strongest ever undersea earthquakes off the coast of Tohoku. The earthquake triggered an extensively powerful tsunami waves reaching the heights of over 40 meters at certain places. As per the National Police Agency of Japan report released in September, 2012, the damages included:
 - about 16000 dead, about 6,000 injured and about 3,000 missing;
 - 129,225 buildings totally collapsed
  - 254,204 buildings 'half collapsed
 - another 691,766 buildings partially damaged
 - heavy damage to roads and railways
 - fires in many areas
 - dam collapse
 - As per Japanese Prime Minister, Naoto Kan, this was the toughest and the most difficult crisis for Japan during the last 65 years after WW-II;
 - Around 4.4 million households in northeastern Japan were left without electricity
 - Around 1.5 million were left without water.
 - It also caused nuclear accidents and at least three nuclear reactors suffered explosions.
The World Bank's estimated economic cost was US$235 billion, making it the costliest natural disaster in world history.