Japan's recovery from 2011 tsunami: before and after - in pictures

The triple disasters of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear event devastated Japan's north-eastern coast in 2011

Paper lanterns are lit to commemorate the victims of an earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in 2011. More than 2,000 candles with messages will be on display until March 11. EPA

Lit candles are arranged to spell out "memory" and "connecting future" at the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum in Futaba, Fukushima Prefecture. AFP

Candles spell out "memory" and "connecting future" at the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum to mark the 10th anniversary of a 9.0-magnitude earthquake that caused a tsunami and nuclear disaster, killing about 16,000 people. AFP

Residents of Hisanohama change Gohei, strips of paper used in a Shinto ritual, on a traditional Japanese gate in front of a memorial for the victims of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Reuters

Paper lanterns are lit to mark the 10th anniversary of a devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan. EPA

More than 2,000 candles have been used in a display to commemorate those killed by an earthquake and tsunami in Japan in 2011. EPA

A paper lantern bearing the Japanese character for "bonds" forms part of a display to mark the 10th anniversary of a devastating earthquake and tsunami. EPA

A stray dog looks back at the destruction left by a tsunami that struck the Odaka area of Minamisoma, a city inside the evacuation zone around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactors. Part of the area is still a no-go zone. AP

People visit a memorial for the victims of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Namie, Japan. Ceremonies to mark the 10th anniversary of the disaster are expected to be scaled back because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Getty

A woman visits a memorial for the victims of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Namie, Japan. The magnitude-9.0 earthquake was one of the most powerful ever recorded. Getty

Top, a ship washed inland to the city of Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, by the tsunami that struck Japan in 2011; below, the same area nearly 10 years later. AFP

Top, the town of Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, was damaged by the tsunami on March 11, 2011; below, and the same area 10 years. AFP

Top, the effects of the 2011 tsunami on the port town of Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture; below, the same area nearly 10 years later. AFP

Top, a flooded street in an area of Tagajo, Miyagi Prefecture, hit by the tsunami in 2011; below, the same area about 10 years later. AFP

Left, a road is littered with vehicles in Tagajo, Miyagi Prefecture, after a devastating tsunami in 2011; right, the same area 10 years later. AFP

Police in Miyagi Prefecture offer silent prayers for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in 2011 before searching for evidence of people still missing. AFP

A child and her father look at a candle at the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum in Futaba, Japan. The magnitude-9.0 earthquake shifted the Earth on its axis by estimates of up to 25 centimetres. Getty

Ukedo beach in Namie, Japan. Ceremonies to mark the 10th anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake, tsunami and triple nuclear meltdown are expected to be scaled back because of the pandemic. Getty

From top to bottom, an area east of Natori, Miyagi Prefecture, in 2010; flooded fields and destroyed homes after the 2011 tsunami struck; the area in August 2020. AP

From top to bottom, Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, in 2006; eight days after the tsunami struck; the same area in April 2020. AP

From top to bottom, Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, in 2006; eight days after the tsunami swept through; the same area in April 2020. AP

From top to bottom, Sendai Airport in Natori, Miyagi Prefecture, in 2010; a day after the 2011 tsunami struck; the same area in August 2020. AP

On March 11, 2011, north-east Japan was struck by a magnitude-9.0 earthquake. The tremors sparked a tsunami that swept away towns and cities and even caused a nuclear emergency as it hit a power plant.

The disaster left more than 20,000 people dead or missing, and many areas are still recovering.

See how the rebuild and recovery effort has progressed over the past decade below.

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant 

The tsunami triggered by the earthquake slammed into the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, destroying its power and cooling systems and triggering meltdowns at three reactors.

Ten years later, as the photo on the left shows, the recovery efforts are still under way. Last week, a fuel pool that had been damaged and left uncovered after the disaster, was removed. The photo taken in 2021 shows how little rebuilding had been achieved at the plant. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga visited Fukushima on March 6, promising to accelerate decontamination efforts so all remaining no-go zones can be reopened. He did not give a timeline.

Some areas up to 10 kilometres from Fukushima Daiichi are still a no-go zone.

Tagajo, Miyagi prefecture 

Two days after the tsunami swept hundreds of towns away, streets in the area of Tagajo, Miyagi prefecture, remained flooded. The area recovered its manufacturing capabilities to pre-disaster levels in 2013, and the economy grew by 19 per cent between 2010 and 2018.

Today, the area, pictured on January 25 this year, almost looks like the tsunami never happened, but over the past decade the population there has shrunk 2.5 per cent. In the aftermath, local government built 532 apartments in Tagajo to house those who had lost everything, a decision some say made residents isolated from their communities.

Otsuchi, Iwate prefecture

The photo taken on April 6 2011, as the whole of Japan still reeled from the tsunami, shows the extent of devastation coastal communities experienced.

Houses washed away as water and debris rushed into the town of Otsuchi.

The town, pictured this January on the right-hand slide, features a white phone booth where residents 'call' those dead and lost as part of the grieving process.

The phone booth was built by Itaru Sasaki, who owns the garden in Otsuchi, about 500 kilometres northeast of Tokyo, a few months before the disaster, after he lost his cousin to cancer.

Minamisanriku, Miyagi province

Minamisanriku lost 800 residents in the tsunami, and has sprung back in an unusual fashion.

Nine staff at Minami Sanriku Hotel Kanyo have lead daily hour-long bus tours showing the sites of devastation and talking about their experiences.

The bus stops at a former school that was damaged by the tsunami, a disaster prevention centre where 43 workers died and a former wedding ceremony hall.

Since the tours began, they have had about 400,000 participants.

Kesennuma, Miyagi prefecture

Kesennuma, on the coast of Sanriku is famous for its plentiful fishing grounds. In the immediate aftermath of the tsunami, a trawler was left grounded in the town, pictured above.

The city lost 1,246 of its residents and the rebuilding effort has been long and arduous. But today, pictured on the right, the city is working on attracting tourists.

The nearby Karakawa Penisula Visitor Centre features an exhibition dedicated to the tsunami and its impact on the area.