On March 11th, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck off the eastern coast of Japan, triggering a devastating tsunami that swept ashore, causing widespread destruction and loss of life. The disaster, which occurred at 2:46 PM local time, was the largest earthquake to hit Japan in recorded history, and one of the most powerful ever recorded worldwide.   The earthquake was centered in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 80 miles east of the city of Sendai, in the Tohoku region of Japan. The tremors were felt throughout the country, as well as in neighboring countries, such as South Korea and China. The shaking was so strong that it caused buildings to collapse, highways to crumble, and triggered landslides.   The most tragic aspect of the disaster was the massive tsunami that followed the earthquake. The wave, which reached heights of up to 40 meters (131 feet), inundated the coastline of Tohoku, destroying entire towns and villages in its path. The tsunami caused widesprea...