The earthquake that devastated Japan on Friday, March 11, 2011 was one of the worst disasters to occur in the twenty-first century. Not only did the earthquake itself affect the nation, but it also suffered from the subsequent tsunami that occurred afterward. Although earthquakes are quite difficult to predict, Japan is normally quite savvy when preparing for the worst for these tectonic storms. Japan is certainly no stranger to earthquakes, experiencing more than 1,500 each year (Israel). Because Japan is located along the so-called “Ring of Fire” in the Pacific Ocean, earthquakes are just a part of life. This particular earthquake wasn't even the worst Japan has ever had. In 1923, the Great Kanto Earthquake killed more than 100,000 people (Oskin). The 2011 earthquake was a shock to Japanese scientists, however, for two reasons. The first is that just two days earlier a strong earthquake of magnitude 7.2 had occurred, followed even by a tsunami (Sorkhabi). Normally, when such a large earthquake occurs, it means to people that large earthquakes are over, at least for that period; no one imagined that this would be the precursor to such a devastating event. The other reason was that such a large earthquake was unprecedented in Japanese history; Japan has experienced some very severe earthquakes over the years, but in general it has learned from these disasters and has made various preparations over the years (in roads, infrastructure, etc.) to handle similar events. Simply because it never happened, no one imagined that an earthquake with a magnitude greater than nine (Sorkhabi) would occur. The earthquake's epicenter occurred off the coast of Japan, along what is called a subduction zone. Subduction zones are places where tectonics collide...... middle of paper ......find a large recession in the ocean above normal tide levels accompanied by a loud roar (Singh). Secondly, people should know that the higher elevation one can reach during a tsunami, the higher the chances of survival. If you are in a building with more than one floor, go to the highest level of the building you can access. If you are in a one-story building when a tsunami is about to occur, escape to higher ground if you have time (Singh). Japan, a country that has faced earthquakes and tsunamis virtually since its founding, was nearly paralyzed by the effects of the natural disaster that occurred on Friday, March 11, 2011. This is the largest earthquake to ever hit Japan in terms of in magnitude and serves to remind both Japanese citizens and people around the world that we should always be prepared for the worst and expect the unexpected.