Since the focus of the Great East Japan Earthquake was close to land, the ensuing tsunami caused great damage.
Since the focus of the Great East Japan Earthquake was close to land, the ensuing tsunami caused great damage.
An analysis by the Geospatial Information Authority found that at least 400 square kilometers of land was flooded by the tsunami, an area equivalent to 20 percent of the area of Tokyo. The tsunami reached a maximum 6 km inland.
A tsunami at least 7.3 meters high was observed in Soma, Fukushima Prefecture. A study by researchers of Tohoku University found that the tsunami reached a height of 10 meters in Sendai's Wakabayashi Ward.
An analysis by experts at the Earthquake Research Institute of the University of Tokyo found that the tsunami hit land as soon as 10 minutes after the earthquake struck.