The 7.6 magnitude quake sparked a tsunami – with waves reaching heights of 21ft in some areas.
And a string of huge aftershocks toppled buildings, caused fires and knocked out infrastructure.
Three people are still missing after the disaster.
Sitting on top of four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, Japan is one of the world’s most tectonically active countries.
Home to around 125 million people, the country experiences around 1,500 jolts every year and accounts for around 18 per cent of the world’s earthquakes.
The majority are mild – but the damage they cause varies according to their location and the depth below the Earth ‘s surface at which they strike.
Japan has strict regulations to make sure buildings can withstand strong earthquakes – and hold regular drills to prepare for a major jolt.
The country is haunted by the memory of a massive 9.0-magnitude quake off northeastern Japan in March 2011.
It triggered a catastrophic tsunami that left around 18,500 people dead or missing.
The tsunami sent three reactors into meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant – causing Japan’s worst post-war disaster and the most serious nuclear accident since Chernobyl.
In March 2022, a 7.4-magnitude quake off the coast of Fukushima shook large areas of eastern Japan, killing three people.
The capital Tokyo was devastated by a huge earthquake a century ago in 1923.
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