A man prays for victims of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami on a beach in Sendai, northern Japan on March 11, 2016.This is how the earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern and eastern Japan on March 11, 2011 happened.
March 11, 2011
Magnitude-9.0 earthquake hits off Miyagi Prefecture, with subsequent massive tsunami wreaking havoc in Pacific coastal areas of northeastern and eastern Japan as well as triggering a nuclear crisis in Fukushima Prefecture.
March 12
More than 120,000 commuters in Tokyo metropolitan area are stranded with transportation system paralysed following the disaster.
March 13
Prime Minister Naoto Kan calls disaster postwar Japan's "most severe crisis" and orders mobilisation of 100,000 Self-Defence Forces personnel for relief operations.
March 25
National Police Agency announces that more than 10,000 people are dead.
July 1
Government begins restricting electric consumption to avert power shortages. It is the country’s first mandatory power-saving drive in 37 years or since the first "oil shock."
August 26
Bill to promote renewable power generation clears parliament. Kan announces his resignation.
December 26
SDF end their relief mission in disaster-hit areas.
February 10, 2012
Reconstruction Agency is formed to better deal with rebuilding disaster-hit areas.
December 16
Liberal Democratic Party, led by Shinzo Abe, defeats Democratic Party of Japan in general election to return to power after three years in opposition.
Deccember 26
Prime Minister Abe launches Cabinet.
March 14-18, 2015
Five-day U.N. World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Sendai.
March 11, 2016
Japan marks fifth anniversary of disaster.