Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011

The 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami, also known as the "Great Sendai Earthquake" or "Great Tohoku
Earthquake," occurred in Japan.  The event began with a massive earthquake off the northeastern shore of Honshu,
Japan's main island, causing significant damage on land and triggering a series of huge tsunami waves that destroyed
many of the country's coastal areas. Japanese Prime Minister Kan Naoto acted quickly after the earthquake to
establish an emergency command center in Tokyo, and a large number of rescue personnel and 100,000 members of
the Japanese Self-Defense Force were quickly deployed to deal with the disaster. Also, the Japanese government
requested that U.S. military forces stationed in the nation assist with relief operations, and a U.S. A Navy aircraft
carrier was sent to the region. Several nations, including Australia, China, India, New Zealand, South Korea, and the
United States, dispatched rescue teams, and dozens of other countries and major international relief organizations,
including the Red Cross and Red Crescent, committed financial and material support to Japan. Additionally, a
significant number of private and nonprofit groups in Japan and throughout the world quickly established relief
funds to assist victims and with rescue and recovery efforts. In the weeks following the disaster, much of northern
Honshu's transportation and service infrastructure was at least partially restored, and repairs continued until train
lines and major highways were again fully operational. However, the ongoing crisis at the Fukushima plant
continues to impact the region's power supply, resulting in temporary power outages and rolling blackouts. The loss
of businesses and factories as a result of earthquake and tsunami destruction, as well as power supply uncertainties,
significantly affected the region's manufacturing production in the months after the tragedy. The industries most
affected were those producing semiconductors and other high-tech products, as well as autos. The economy, on the
other hand, was back on track, with many damaged firms resuming at least limited production. In the early months
of 2012, industrial output virtually returned to pre-disaster levels.