Japanese Coastal Communities
Millions inhabit Japan's Pacific coastâone of Earth's most hazardous zones experiencing earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, and volcanic activity. The 2011 TÅhoku earthquake (magnitude 9.1) generated 40-meter tsunamis killing 20,000+ and causing Fukushima nuclear disaster. Coastal communities face multiple cascading hazards on the Pacific Ring of Fire. Tsunami stones, elaborate early warning systems, disaster-resilient architecture, and cultural memory of catastrophes characterize living in the world's most comprehensively hazardous coastal environment.