Timeline of Great Eastern Japan Earthquake (Higashi-Nihon Daishinsai) and Tsunami, Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Disaster in Japan 2011
This is a copyrith-free document. The author of this ducomment abandons the copyright of it.
Headlines from newspapers are generally allocated at the time of occurence.
The major natural disasters in the past related to Tohoku area and major earthquakes are displayed in the timeline.
Some of the news refered here might be inaccurate because they are basically original texts at the real-time.
In addition, the author collects some miscellaneous news for the reader to understand the situation of the Japanese society at that time. Tokyo and Kanto area, the world-biggest metropolice with about 40 millions population, was suffered the most severe nuclear accident.
Keys for information sources.
- NHK: NHK (Japanese major public TV)
- NNN: Newsnetwork of Nihon TV (Major TV network)
- Kahoku: Kahoku Shimpo (Newspaper headquatered at Sendai, Tohoku)
- Asahi: Asahi Shimbun (Country-wide Newspaper)
- Yomiuri: Yomiuri Shimbun (Country-wide Newspaper)
- Mainichi: Mainichi Shimbun (Country-wide Newspaper)
- Nikkei: Hohon Keizai Shimbun (Country-wide Newspaper)
- Metero: Japan Meteroligical Agency. (Governmental)
- Reg Com: Nuclear Regulation Committee of Japan. (Founded after the disaster)
- Kesen: Joint Fire department of Kesennuma and Motoyoshi Area.
- Diet Inv: The Diet's Investigation Committee for Fukushima Daiichi Nulclear Accident.
- NGO Inv: The NGO Investigation Committee for Fukushima Daiichi Nulclear Accident. Rebuild Japan Initiative Foundation. ISBN 978-4-7993-1158-5.
- Cab Inv: The Cabinet's Investigation Committee for Fukushima Daiichi Nulclear Accident.
- Rail: Shinchosha, Railway map magazine - Records of the Great Earthquake Disaster in Eastern Japan. ISBN 978-4-10-790047-0.
- Chro: National Astronomical Observatory (ed.), Chronological Scientific Tables 2013. ISBN 978-4-621-08606-3.
- IHA: Imperial Household Agency.
Place-names:
- Tohoku: Literally north-eastern. North-eastern area of Honshu Island of Japan, comprised of 6 prefectures (Aomori, Iwate, Akita, Miyagi, Yamagata, and Fukushima).
- Sanriku Kaigan (Sanriku coast): Coast of Iwate and Miyagi prefectures facing the pacific ocean. Major towns in Sanriku are Kuji, Miyako, Kamaishi, Kesennuma, Onagawa, and Ishinomaki.
- Sendai: The biggest city in Tohoku.
- Fukushima prefecture.: South-most prefecture in Tohoku. Distance to Tokyo is about 150km. Major town on its pacific coast are Sohma and Iwaki. On the coast, there are 2 big nuclear power plants of TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company), Fukushima Daiichi and Daini.
- Chiba prefecture.: prefecture located east of Tokyo.
- Kanto: Area around Tokyo metropolice, namely Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gumma, Chiba, Tokyo, and Kanagawa prefectures.
Other keywords:
- Rapid premonition of the earthquake: Warning issued by automatic vigilance system of the Meterorogical Agency a few seconds before the arrival of earthquake. People notice it on TV and mobile phones.
Date | Time to the disaster | Event | Info src |
---|---|---|---|
Jul 13, 869 | 1,142 yr |
Jogan Tsunami. The oldest recorded great tsunami attacked Tohoku area. Dead 1000. |
Chro |
May 22, 1241 | 770 yr | Tsunami attacked Kamakura city | Chro |
Dec 12, 1611 | 400 yr | Keicho Sanriku Tsunami. Dead 1,783 around Miyagi prefecture. | Chro |
Apr 25, 1843 | 158 yr | Tsunami attacked Kushiro, Nemuro, and Hachinohe. | Chro |
May 10, 1877 | 134 yr | Tsunami from Chile attacked Tohoku. 3 m height in Kamaishi city. | Chro |
Mar 22, 1894 | 117 yr | Nemuro earthquake. Tsunami height: 4m in Miyako, 1.5 m in Ohfunato. | Chro |
Jun 15,1896 | 115 yr | Meiji Sanriku Great Tsunami. Dead 21,959. 38.2 m height at Ayasato area of Ohfunato city. | Chro |
Aug 5, 1897 | 114 yr | Tsunami. 5 m height at Sakari of Iwate prefecture. | Chro |
Apr 23, 1898 | 113 yr | Minor tsunami around Miyagi prefecture. | Chro |
Sep 1, 1923 | 88 yr | Great Earthquake in Kanto Area. 105,000 were dead or missing. Kanto Daishinsai. | Chro |
Mar 3, 1933 | 78 yr | Sanriku Great Tsunami in Showa era. Dead or missing 3,064. Height 28.7 m at Ayasato area of Ohfunato city. | Chro |
Nov 3, 1936 | 74 yr | Minor tsunami in Miyagi prefecture. | Chro |
May 23, 1938 | 73 yr | Minor tsunami in Ibaraki prefecture. | Chro |
Nov 5, 1938 | 72 yr | Tsunami. Heigh 1 m at Onahama of Fukushima prefecture. | Chro |
Dec 7, 1944 | 66 yr | Major earthquake around Nagoya with Tsunami. Dead or missing 1,223. Most of information was hidden by the wartime government. | Chro |
Mar 4, 1952 | 59 yr |
Tsunami. 1 to 2 m height around Sanriku coast (Iwate prefecture.). |
Chro |
Sep 26, 1959 | 51 yr | Isewan Typhoon attacked Nagoya. Dead 4,697, missing 401. | Chro |
May 23, 1960 | 51 yr | Great Tsunami from Chile attacked Sanriku coast. Dead 142. Height 5 to 6 m. | Chro |
Mar 26, 1971 | 40 yr | Unit 1 of Fukushima Daiichi Genpatsu (Fkushima first nuclear power plant) started its commercial service. (Exploded in 2011) | Diet Inv |
Jun 17, 1973 | 38 yr | Tsunami around eastern Hokkaido with tsunami. | Chro |
Jul 18, 1974 | 37 yr | Unit 2 of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant started its commercial service. (Melt-down in 2011) | Diet Inv |
Mar 27, 1976 | 35 yr | Unit 3 of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant started its commercial service. (Exploded in 2011) | Diet Inv |
Jul 28, 1976 | 35 yr | Tangshan earthquake in China. Dead 242,800. | Chro |
Apr 18, 1978 | 33 yr | Unit 5 of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant started its commercial service. | Diet Inv |
Jun 12, 1978 | 33 yr | Earthquake in Miyagi prefecture. Dead 28. | Chro |
Oct 12. 1978 | 32 yr | Unit 4 of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant started its commercial service. (Exploded in 2011) | Diet Inv |
Oct 24, 1979 | 31 yr | Unit 6 of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant started its commercial service. | Diet Inv |
Apr 20, 1982 | 29 yr | Unit 1 of Fukushima Daini Genpatsu (Fukushima second nuclear power plant) started its commercial service. (Daini plant will be faced crisis in 2011) | Diet Inv |
Feb 3, 1984 | 27 yr | Unit 2 of Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant started its commercial service. | Diet Inv |
Jun 21, 1985 | 26 yr | Unit 3 of Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant started its commercial service. | Diet Inv |
1986 | 25 yr |
TEPCO (Tokyo electric power company) started habitual fabrication of safety data in Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and other vuclear plants. (This fact was revealted in 2002.) |
|
Aug 25, 1987 | 24 yr | Unit 4 of Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant started its commercial service. | Diet Inv |
Jul 12, 1993 | 18 yr | Great Tsunami attacked Okushiri Island in southwest Hokkaido. Dead 202, missing 28. | Chro |
Oct 4, 1994 | 16 yr | Tsunami attacked Etorohu Island in eastern Hokkaido (The island is under effective control of Russia). | Chro |
Dec 28, 1994 | 16 yr | Earthquake attacked Northern Tohoku. Dead 3. | Chro |
Jan 17. 1995 | 16 yr | Hanshin Awaji Daishinsai. Great Earthquake attacked Kobe metropolitan city. Dead 6,434, missing 3. | Chro |
Feb 28, 1997 | 14 yr | Earthquake at Ardebil in Iran. Dead 1,100(?). | Chro |
Sep 21, 1999 | 11 yr | Jiji earthquake in Taiwan. Dead 2,413. | Chro |
Sep 30, 1999 | 11 yr | Nuclear accident at JCO's Uranium factory in Ibgaraki prefecture. Dead 2. The first fatal nuclear accident in Japan. | NGO Inv |
Aug29, 2002 | 9 yr | Government announced the fabrication of safety data by TEPCO in Fukushima Daiichi, Fukushima Daini, and Kashiwazaki-Kariya Nuclear Power Plants. | Asahi |
Sep 2, 2002 | 9 yr | Five top excetives of TEPCO resigned because of the fabrication scandal. | Asahi |
Nov 24, 2002 | 8 yr | Government bannded running of Unit 1 of Fukushiam Daiichi Plant for 1 year due to the fabricatoin. | Asahi |
May 26, 2003 | 8 yr | Earthquake in Miyagi prefecture. | Chro |
Jul 26, 2003 | 8 yr | Earthquake in northern Miyagi prefecture. | Chro |
Oct 23, 2004 | 6 yr | Earthquake in central Niigata prefecture. Dead 68. | Chro |
Dec 26, 2004 | 6 yr | Great Tsunami in Indian Ocean Dead or missing 227,898. | Chro |
Mar 21, 2006 | 5 yr | Twitter service started. (Twitter was major communication channel in the 2011 crisis.) | |
May 26, 2006 | 5 yr | Great eqrthquale in Jawa, Indonesia, Dead over 5,749. | Chro |
Mar 25, 2007 | 4 yr | Earthquake in Noto peninsula, Ishikawa prefecture. Dead 1. | Chro |
Jul 16, 2007 | 4 yr | Earthquake in Middle Niigata prefecture. | Chro |
2008 | 3 yr | Government published the forcast saying "the probability of great earthquake in Miyagi prefecture in 30 years is 99%." | |
May 12, 2008 | 3 yr | Sichuan earthquake in China. Dead 69,227. | Chro |
Jun 14, 2008 | 3 yr | Earthquake in Iwate and Miyagi prefecture. Dead 17. | Chro |
Jan 12, 2010 | 1 yr | Haiti earthquake. Dead 316,000. | Chro |
Apr 13, 2010 | 1 yr | Yushu earthquake in China. Dead over 2,220. | Chro |
Date | Time Diff | Event | Src |
---|---|---|---|
Mar 9, 2011 | 2 d bf | ||
11:45 | Big earthuqake (M 7.3) in Iwate coast. | Chro | |
11:48 | Tsunami Warning issued. From Aomori to Fukushimja prefecture. Observed height 0.55 m in Iwate. | Metero | |
14:50 | Tsunami Warining canselled. | Metero | |
Mar 10, 2011 | 1 d bf | ||
6:28 | Earthquake. Tsunami Warning issued on Fukushimja prefecture. Observed height 0.11 m in Miyako in Miyagi prefecture. | Metero | |
7:30 | Tsunami Warining canselled. | Metero | |
Mar 11, 1:54 |
13 h bf | Earthquake (M5.4) in the offing of Iwate prefecture. The last precedent major earthquake. | Chro |
Mar 11, 2011 | Day 1 |
Friday. "Huge earthquake in eastern Japan" (Yomiuri), "Highest seismic intensity in Miyagi prefecture" (Kahoku) Huge Tsuami attacked from Sanriku to Chiba coast. Operaton to cool Unit 1 of Fukushima Daiichi was failed, and its melt-down started. |
|
14:46 | 0 |
The main earthquake. N38'6''. E142'51,6''. The intensity was annouced M7.9 at this time. The shake was felt by people in almost entire Japan. |
Chro |
14:46 | 0 |
Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued at 14:46:40.2. |
Chro |
14:46 | 0 | Tohoku Shinkansen automatically started braking before the shake attacks the trains. | Rail |
14:47 | 1 m | Tokyo started shaking. The antenna on the top of Tokyo Tower was bent. Major soil liquefaction in Urayasu, Chiba prefecture. | Chro |
14:49 | 2 m | Great Tsunami Waring issued over Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefecture. | Chro |
14:49 | 2 m | Osaka started shaking. The local government's building at Sakisu was damaged, and 5 people were locked in the elevetors. | Chro, Yomiuri |
14:49 | 3 m | Tokyo was suffered the strongest shake (241 gal). | Chro |
14:53 | 7 m | Tokyo was still shaking. | Chro |
14:54 | 8 m | A tide vigilance machine in the Kesennuma bay, Miyagi prefecture, detected the first tunami with 6 m height. | Kesen |
15:00 | 13 m | Kesenmuma Fire Department detected downward tsunami. | Kesen |
15:00 | 13 m | Tokyo stock exchange ended with sudden big down (179 yen down). NIKKEI Index = 10,254.43 yen. | Asahi |
Fujishiro dam in Sukagawa city broken. Flood. Dead 7, missing 1. | NHK | ||
All railway services in Tokyo halted. Huge number of poeple working in Tokyo lost methods to go back home. | |||
Baseball games halted. Rakuten Eagles (franchized in Sendai) vs. Lotte in Akashi, Hogo prefecture. | Asahi | ||
15:11 | 24 m | Kesenmuma Fire Depaertment obsereved deadly uprizing Tsumami. | Kesen |
15:14 | 27 m | Great Tsunami Waring expanded from Aomori to Chiba coast. | Chro |
15:15 | 28 m | Large petrochemical complex of COSMO company on coast of Tokyo Bay in Ichihara city, Chiba prefecture, started burning. (Extinced on Mar 21.) | Asahi |
15:20 | 32 m |
Huge Tsunami attacked from Iwate to Chiba coast. (Photo: A Shop attacked by the great tsunami in Kamaishi city, Iwate prefecture. As of summber of 2011.) |
Asahi |
15:30 | 43 m | Great Tsunami Waring expanded again from Hokkaido to Izu Islands. | Chro |
15:37 | 50 m |
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant attacked by Tsunami. Unit 1 to 5 lost the major electricity supply. In addition. Unit 1, 2 and 4 lost all electricity supply. SBO (station balckout) happened. The isolation condensor (IC) of Unit 1 automatically started closing its valves but stopped at imperfect position because of blackout, so Unit 1 lost equipment for cooling down. |
NGO Inv |
15:40 | 53 m | A great fire occured at Shikaore, Kesenmuma city. (Extinced in Mar 23.) | Kesen |
15:42 | 55 m |
Legal duty emergency report of nuclear crisis reported by TEPCO to government. |
NGO Inv |
15:44 | 57 m | Great blackout over all Tohoku area. 456 million houses. | Kahoku |
16:00 | 1 h | Meterorigical agancy revised the intensity of the earthquake larger as M8.4. | Kesen |
16:08 | 1 h | Great Tsunami Waring expanded again from Hokkaido to Tokushima. | Metero |
16:37 | 2 h | Toden Arakawa line Tram in Tokyo resumed. | Rail |
16:40 | 2 h |
Misitry of Education and Technology directed to start its SPEEDI vigilance system to forcast movement of leaked radioactive clouds. (But they did not tell the Cabinet the existence of the system until Mar 14 or 15, Cabinet Secretory Edano said.) |
NGO Inv |
16:45 | 2 h |
Legal duty emergency report of nuclear crisis reported by TEPCO to government. Saying Unit 1 and 2 are under severe SBO, and they cannot be cooled. |
NOG Inv |
17:30 | 3 h | Meterological Agency revised the intensity larger again. Mw8.8. | Kesen |
17:30 | 3 h | A great fire occured in sea surface of Kesenmuma Bay. (Extinced in Mar 23.) | Kesen |
17:41 | 3 h | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero |
17:50 | 3 h |
Legal duty emergency report of nuclear crisis reported by TEPCO to government. Saying Fukushima Daini (not Daiichi) Plant also in severe conditon. |
Cab Inv |
18:10 | 3 h | Water around the core of Unit 1 decreased, and the core exposured over water level. (Etimated by the later investigations.) | Diet Inv |
18:18 | 4 h |
The plant operators tried open some of valves of IC of Unit 1 to cool. |
NGO Inv |
18:25 | 4 h |
The operators considered that IC of Unit 1 was not working, and they closed the valves. |
NGO Inv |
18:26 | 4 h | Tokaido Shinkansen resumed. | Rail |
18:50 | 4 h | Core of Unit 1 started melting. (Estimated) |
Diet Inv |
19:03 | 4 h | Government declared Nuclear Emergency | NHK |
19:15 | 4 h |
Mahler Concert on Mar 11: New Japan Philharmonic started the legendary concert in Tokyo. |
NHK |
19:35 | 5 h | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero |
20:40 | 6 h | Tokyo metro Ginza line resumed, but soon halted because of crowding. | Rail |
20:40 | 6 h | Tokyo metro Hanzomon line resumed. | Rail |
20:40 | 6 h | Tokyo subway Oedo line resumed. | Rail |
21:00 | 6 h | Tokyo subway Asakusa line and Mita line resumed. | Rail |
21:23 | 7 h | Government directed people within 3 km range from Fukushima Daiichi Plant to evacuate. Also, it directed people within 10 km range from Fukushima Daiichi Plant to stay the inside of house or building. | |
21:30 | 7 h |
The plant operators of Unit 1 tried to open some of valves of IC again, hoping it will cool the unit. |
NGO Inv |
21:55 | 7 h | Seibu railway resumed. | Rail |
22:10 | 7 h | Keio railway resumed. | Rail |
22:20 | 8 h |
JR East (major railway company) announced that they cannot contact with a train in Senseki line. |
Rail |
22:30 | 8 h |
A train found at Nobiru station of Senseki Line. Crushed by Tsunami. |
Rail |
22:35 | 8 h |
Unstable currency rate of Yen. 1 USD = 83.30 Yen, but soon boomed to 82.30-40. |
Asahi |
22:35 | 8 h | Tokyo Metro Chiyoda line resumed, but soon halted becased of crowding. | Rail |
22:37 | 8 h | Tokyo Metro Yurakucho line resumed. | Rail |
22:41 | 8 h |
Miyagi prefecture Police Department announced about 200 to 300 dead bodies found in Arahama area, Wakabayashi ward of Sendai city. (Photo: Kamaichi city flatten by the gread earch quake. Rad flags indicate the places where dead bodies found.) |
Nikkei |
22:43 | 8 h | Tokyu Railway resumed. | Rail |
22:50 | 8 h | Tokyo Metro Ginza line resumed again. | Rail |
22:53 | 8 h | Great Tsunami Waring expanded again from Hokkaido to Kochi. (This is the largest range in this earthquake.) | Metro |
23:00 | 8 h | Tokyo Metro Marunouchi line resumed. | Rail |
23:10 | 8 h | Tokyo Metro Tozai line resumed. | Rail |
23:15 | 8 h | Yokohama Subway resumed. | Rail |
23:40 | 9 h | Tokyo Metro Hibiya line resumed. | Rail |
Mar 12 | Day 2 |
Saturday. "Catastrophe in Tohoku coast area. Whole of Rikuzen Takada town and Sohma town covered by water. Dead/missing 1,500. Tsunami damaged 150 km from Iwate to Fukushima prefecture. Land subsidence observed." (Asahi) "Hundreds of dead bodies founded in Rikuzen Takata. Ten thousands people in southern Sanriku coast are out of contact." (Asahi) Outer building of Unit 1 exploded. "Strong radioactives leakes" (Yomiuri. Extra) Strong earthquake attacked northern Nagano prefecture. |
|
Kyushu Shinkansen started service through Kyushu island between Hakata and Kagoshima-chuo. | Rail | ||
0:00 | 9 h | Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin line resumed. | Rail |
0:00 | 9 h | Odakyu railway resumed. | Rail |
0:30 | 10 h | At this moment, 17 trains of Tohoku Shinkansen were sbrought to standstill on trucks. The passengers were shut in the trains. | Rail |
0:35 | 10 h | Tokyo Metro Chiyoda line resumed, but soon halted becased of crowding again. | Rail |
0:55 | 10 h | Tokyo Metro Chiyoda line resumed finally. | Rail |
1:09 | 10 h | Tokyo Metro Hibiya line resumed. | Rail |
3:11 | 12 h | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero |
3:59 | 13 h | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued for northern Nagano prefecture. | Metero |
3:59 | 13 h | Northern Nagano prefecture Earthquake hits Sakae-mura. 57 wounded. | Chro |
4:00 | 13 h |
TEPCO Inv says "Operation to inject fresh water into Unit 1 was started at this moment." |
TEPCO Inv |
4:08 | 13 h | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero |
4:16 | 13 h | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero |
4:31 | 14 h | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero |
5:00 | 14 h | Keikyu railways resumed. | Rail |
5:11 | 14 h | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero |
5:42 | 15 h | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero |
5:44 | 15 h | Government expanded the direction for the people within 10 km range from Fukushima Daiichi Plant to evacuate. | |
5:46 | 15 h |
"Injection of fresh water to Unit 1 was started." (Diet Inv). "A line for water injection was built." (NGO Inv). |
|
5:47 | 15 h |
Legal duty report of nuclear crisis issued from Fukushima Daini (not Daiichi) Plant to government. |
Cabinet Inv |
6:10 | 15 h | Keisei railway resumed. | Rail |
6:19 | 16 h | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero |
6:34 | 16 h | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero |
6:48 | 16 h | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero |
6:50 | 16 h |
Kaieda, Minister of METI (industry), commanded TEPCO vent Unit 1 to avoid explosion. |
Diet Inv |
7:00 | 16 h | Tobu, JR Yokohama line, and Rinkai line railways resumed. | Rail |
7:11 | 16 h |
Prime minister Kan visited Fukushima Daiichi Plant by helicopter. |
NGO Inv |
7:35 | 17 h | JR Chuo line in Tokyo area resumed. | Rail |
7:45 | 17 h |
Government directed people within 3 km range from Fukushima Daini (not Daiichi) Plant to evacuate. People within 10 km were directed to stay the inside of house. |
|
8:00 | 17 h | JR Yamanote line and JR Tokaido line in Tokyo area resumed. | Rail |
8:30 | 18 h |
435 patients of Futaba Hospital departed for evacuation. (Many patient died on the route.) |
NGO Inv |
9:05 | 18 h | JR Keihin-Tohoku line in Tokyo area resumed. | Rail |
9:10 | 18 h | Tsukuba Express railway in Tokyo are resumed. | Rail |
10:00 | 19 h |
Radioactive level around Fukushima Daiichi Plant increased. |
|
11:00 | 20 h | Tobu Isesaki line resumed. | Rail |
11:36 | 21 h |
Reactor Core Isolation System (RCIS) of Unit 3 was eventually stopped. |
Diet Inv |
12:35 | 22 h | High Pressure Coolant Injection (HPCI) of Unit 3 started for backup. | NGO Inv |
13:50 | 23 h | Gread Tsunami Warning was shrinked from Aomori to Fukushima. | Metero |
14:30 | 24 h | Unit 1 was vented. (Wind at Sohma city near the plant: west 3.6m at 14:00, south by southeast 2.8m at 15:00) | Diet Inv, Metero |
14:53 | 24 h |
Fresh water for Unit 1 coolant dried up. Yoshida, the plant director, directed use sea water. |
Diet Inv |
15:30 | 25 h |
Prepareatoin to inject sea water to Unit 1 was completed. |
Diet Inv |
15:30 | 25 h |
Government asked Self Defence Force to help water injection operatoin. |
NNN |
15:36 | 25 h |
Outer Builing of Unit 1 exploded. (Hydrogen Explosion. Not nuclear explosion.) Wind at Sohma city: south by southeast, 2.8m at 15:00. Southeast 2.0m at 16:00. It damaged the operatoins for all Units. There is a hypothesis that this explosion made the blow-out panel of Unit 2 building off, so that Unit 2 could avoid hydrogen explosion fortunately. |
Diet Inv |
15:40 | 25 h | The scene of Unit 1 explosion was broadcasted on TV. | NNN |
16:00 | 25 h |
Joetsu and Nagano Shinkanse resumed. |
Rail |
16:21 | 26 h | Government postponed press conference. | NNN |
17:46 | 27 h |
Chief Cabinet Secretary, Edano, holded a press conference live-broadcasted on TV. He acknowledged the explosion and asked the nations keep calm. |
NNN |
17:55 | 27 h | Industry Minister Kaideda commanded TEPCO to inject sea water to Unit 1. | Diet Inv |
18:25 | 28 h |
Government directed people within 20 km range from Fukushima Daiichi Plant to evacuate. |
|
19:04 | 28 h | Injection of sea water to Unit 1 started. | Diet Inv |
19:25 | 29 h |
Plant director, Yoshida, declared halt of injection to Unit 1, but he secretly commanded to continue. |
Diet Inv |
19:51 | 29 h | JR Negishi line resumed. | Rail |
20:20 | 30 h |
Great tsunami warnings were degrated to tsumami warnings. |
Metero |
21:00 | 30 h | Prime Minister Kan holded a press conference with TV live broadcasting. He announced that the government allowed TEPCO for large rolling blackouts around Tokyo area because of heavy damages in electricty networks. He addressed the nation "we have to overcome this national crisis." | |
22:15 | 31 h | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero |
22:24 | 32 h | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero |
22:27 | 32 h | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero |
23:35 | 33 h | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero |
23:43 | 33 h | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero |
23:55 | 33 h |
TV Tokyo resumed normal programs. Tegamibachi Reverse broadcasted. The fisrt resume of nomrmal programs. |
|
Mar 13 | Day 3 |
Sunday. "Cooling of Unit 3 is imcomplete too." (Asahi Extra) People started power saving. Night of Tokyo became darker. |
|
2:42 | 36 h |
The plant operators stopped HPCI of Unit 3 in order to inject coolant. But this attempt was failed becase of lack of electric supplay from batteries. Unit 3 now lost cooling functions. They started collect batteries of personal cars of the plant workers. |
NGO Inv |
6:40 | 40 h | Tsukuba Express railway resumed completely. | Rail |
7:30 | 41 h | Meterological Agany modelated all tsumami warnings to tsunami advisories. | Metero |
8:25 | 42 h | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero |
8:41 | 42 h |
Line for vent of Unit 3 was builted. |
NGO Inv |
9:08 | 42 h |
Unit 3 vented. (Wind at Sohma city: NNE 2.1m at 9:00. WSW 1.7m at 10:00.) |
NGO Inv |
9:10 | 42 h | Coolant water for Unit 3 decreased to critical level. (Estimated.) | Diet Inv |
10:26 | 44 h | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero |
10:40 | 44 h | Melting-down of Unit 3 started. (Estimated.) Hydrogen gas emmieted and diffused the inside of Unit 3 and 4. | Diet Inv |
11:00 | 44 h | JDS Chokai rescued a drifter in 15km offshore. | Asahi |
11:00 | 44 h | Line for vent of Unit 2 was builted. | NGO Inv |
12:20 | 46 h |
Fresh water for Unit 3 coolant dried up. |
NGO Inv |
12:55 | 46 h |
Meterological Agency upgrade the intensity of the main earthquake as Mw9.0. |
Kesen |
13:12 | 46 h | Injection of sea water to Unit 3 started. | NGO Inv |
17:58 | 51 h | All tsunami advisories cancelled. | Metero |
20:22 | 54 h |
President of TEPCO holded a press conference to announce rolling blackout that starts tomorrow around Tokyo metropolitan area. |
Asahi |
20:22 | 54 h |
People confused the plant of rolling blackout, since the explanation of TEPCO was so vague and complicated. |
|
Mar 14 | Day 4 |
Monday. "1000 dead bodies found in Minami Sanriku."(Asahi) "Searching families. Kindergarten Bus with dead kids found in Ishinomaki, Miyagi prefecture." (Asahi) "Rolling blackout starts today."(Yomiuri) Outer building of Unit 3 exploded. Melting down of Unit 2 core. "Strong radioactive vented" (Asahi) Tohoku electric company also plant rolling blackout in Tohoku area. (Kahoku) (Photo: Skyscrappers at Shinjuku, 22:12 on Mar 14 2011. To conserve electricity, unneccesary light were shut down.) |
|
Services of JR East railway in Tokyo area reduced to only 20% of normal. | Asahi | ||
1:00 | 58 h | Pressure of core of Unit 3 increased. It is considered that some valve on the vent line colsed unintentionally. | NGO Inv |
4:08 | 61 h |
Watere of the fuel pool just above Unit 4 reactor got very hot. 84 C degree. It was 27 C before the accident. The risk of dry-up of the pool was focused. (Fuels in the pool mgiht have been exposured to open air.) |
Reg Com |
8:00 | 65 h |
Gas leak accident at a department store in Morioka. Dead 1. |
Asahi |
11:01 | 68 h |
Hydrogen explosion of outer buiding of Unit 3. Workers of the plants and soldiers of Self Defence Forces were wounded. It is considered that the shock of this explosion closed the valves on the vent-line of Unit 2, so that Unit 2 became high-pressured and very dangerous. |
|
12:00 | 69 h | Level of coolant water of Unit 2 started rapid decreasing. | NGO Inv |
13:25 | 71 h |
RCIS of Unit 2 terminated. TEPCO reported it to the government with legal duty. |
Diet Inv |
15:52 | 73 h | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero |
16:25 | 74 h | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero |
17:00 | 74 h |
Core of Unit 2 started being exposed over coolant water. (Estimated) |
Diet Inv |
17:00 | 74 h |
First rolling blackout started in Kanto. Until 18:30. 110,000 houses. |
Asahi |
18:22 | 76 h |
Core of Unit 2 dried up. (Estimated) |
NGO Inv |
19:57 | 77 h |
Injection of sea water into Unit 2 became stable. |
NGO Inv |
20:00 | 77 h |
Radioactive level around the Daiichi plant increased. (Wind at Sohma city: west 3.5m at 20:00) |
Diet Inv, Metero |
Date | Time Diff | Event | Src |
---|---|---|---|
Mar 15 | Day 5 |
Tuesday "Doomed Day" said NGO Inv. Unit 4 exploded. Very cold winter day. Rolling blackout executed. |
|
4 d | 25-year-old man resuced at Ishinomaki City. | Asahi | |
Lufthanza airline halted services on Narita (New Tokyo Internatioal) Airport. | Asahi | ||
System of Mizuho Bank stopped because of huge amount of transaction of donations. | Asahi | ||
Tohoku Shinkansen resumed from Tokyo to Nasushiobara (in northern Kanto). |
Rail | ||
1:36 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
5:33 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
5:40 |
Prime Minister, Kan, suddenly visited the headquater of TEPCO before the dawn. He said to the exectives "Make up your mind. There is no way to escape. If you retreat your empolyees from the Daiichi Plant, entire TEPCO will be collapsed certainly." He directed to consolidate joint headquater among the government and TEPCO. |
Asahi | |
6:10 |
Outer building of Unit 4 exploded by Hydrgen gas leaked from Unit 3. On the same time, pressure of Unit 2 become zero. Detail of this phenomenon is unknown. Big amount of Radioactives leaked. (Wind at Sohma city: southwest 0.7 m at 6:00. Northwest winds (directed to Tokyo) continued after 7:00 to noon.) |
NGO Inv, Metero |
|
7:00 |
650 employees in Fukushima Daiichi Plant escaped to safer Fukushima Daini (not Daiichi) plant except nesseary and least number of employees. |
NGO Inv | |
7:29 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
Emperor and Emperess invited the former chair of governmental Nuclear Committee to the palace at Tokyo and discussed about the nuclear plant. After this, they invited Cheif of National Police Agany and heared about their activity. |
IHA | ||
9:20 | Rolling blackout in Kanto executed. 5 million houses. Until 22:00. | Asahi | |
11:00 |
Government demanded people within 20 to 30 km range form Daiichi plant to saty the inside of house or building. So-called "offsite center", emergecy office near the plant, retreated to Fukushima city. Government relaxed the limit of radioactive exposure for workers in Daiich plant from 100 mSv to 250 mSv. |
||
Doomed Day. Amount of radioactive leak increased largely from this day. Sence of danger of the government was at peak. The worst possibility was that core of Unit 2 explodes and the pool of Unit 4 dries up with diffusing deadly powders of nuclear fuels over eastern half of Japan including Tokyo. In this case , Fukushima Daini plant (near Daiichi plant) have to be aboundned too. The government decided to use soldiers and fire fighters to inject water. The reality was that addictional water flowed into the pool of Unit 4 from neighbouring pool, and Unit 2 did not exploded to outward. The detail of why water flowed into Unit 4 is still unknown. Contrary, Fukushima Daini Plant suceeded to maintain cooling its reactor cores. |
|||
13:00 | Miharu-machi of Fukushima prefecture distrbuted iodine tablets for thier residences. | Cabinet Inv | |
20:31 | Fujinomiya of eastern Shizuoka prefecture hitted strong earthquake. | Chro | |
22:31 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
Mar 16 | Day 6 |
Wednesday. "434 thouthand evacuated people" (Asahi) Very cold winter weather. In spite of Tsunami damages, Sanriku railway surprisingly resumed between Kuji and Rikuchu Noda. (Rail) (Photo: Tokiwadai Station of Tobu Tojo Line, Itabashi ward, Tokyo. The board tells that railway service is limited in the central Tokyo area due to the rolling blackout being implement over suburbs of Tokyo.) |
|
5 d |
Nuclear regulation committee of USA changed its decision. They advised US citizens in Japan to evacuate 80 km apart from Daiichi Plant. This decision was different and harder than that of Japanese governement. They regared the pool over Unit 4 as the greatest risk. |
NGO Inv | |
Tohoku electric company once planed rolling blackout over Tohoku area, but it have not been executed. |
|||
Major TV networks eliminated the sound logo of AC Japan's public messages. They ware repeatedly broadcasted to fullfill all CM spots instad of normal commercial messages. People got tired of its sound. |
|||
0:00 |
Radioactive level around Daiichi Plant greatly increased. (Wind at Sohma city: southwest 1.5m at 0:00) |
Diet Inv, Metero | |
2:40 |
Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | MeteroDiet Inv, Metero | |
6:40 | Rolling blackout started in Kanto. 10 millions houses. |
Asahi |
|
10:00 |
Radioactive level around Daiichi Plant greatly increased. (Wind at Sohma city: ENE 1.3m at 10:00. North 3.7m at 12:00. Directing to Tokyo) |
Diet Inv, Metero | |
10:30 | A traffice accident occured at a blackouted crossing of Annaka city, Gumma prefecture. Dead 1. | Asahi | |
12:23 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
12:53 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
Emperor and Emperess invited a famous professor to discuss radioactive influence on human health. | IHA | ||
16:35 |
Emperor issued video message to the nation through TV networks. It was the first time for the Emperor to address the nation directly and spontaneously without planed oppotunities after 1945. |
||
22:00 |
Rolling blackout over Kanto ends. Till this day, 122 elevators locked with passengers. |
Asahi | |
Mar 17 | Day 7 |
The highest rate of Yen agains USD (1 USD = 76-77 yen) after WW2. Helicopters of Japan Self Defence Force dared to throw coolant water over broken head of Unit 3 building, Very cold weather. Severe shortage of electricity. Snow falls on the evacuating people. Emperor and Emperess invited the top of Japan Red Cross to hear thier activities. |
|
7:00 |
The largest rolling blackout executed over 18,200,000 houses in Kanto area until 22:00. |
Asahi | |
9:48 | Helicopters of JSDF dared to threw water to Unit 3. | Asahi | |
19:35 | JSDF spraied water to Unit 3 with fire-engines. | Asahi | |
21:32 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
Mar 18 | Day 8 |
"Dead 6,911. Worst after WW2." (Kahoku)
|
|
Many companies are considering moving thier headquaters from Tokyo. | Asahi | ||
6:20 |
Rooling blackout started. 14 million houses. Untile 22:00. |
Asahi | |
9:00 |
G7 intervented the exchange rate. 1 USD = 81 yen. |
Asahi | |
Mar 19 | Day 9 |
Tokyo Fire Department spraied water to Unit 3. "335 thauthoud Evacuees" (Asahi) |
|
High radioactive detected in agricultural products. |
Asahi | ||
1:55 |
Firefighter of Tokyo Fire Department dared to spray water to Unit 3. |
Asahi | |
8:33 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
18:56 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
18:57 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued on 18:57:06. | Metero | |
18:57 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued on 18:57:13. | Metero | |
Mar 20 | Day 10 | Sanday | |
14:19 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
16:00 |
80-age Woman and her grandson rescued from rubbles at Ishinomaki city. |
Asahi | |
Mar 21 | Day 11 | Monday | |
10:10 | Great fire of large petrochemical complex of Cosmo coampany on coast of Tokyo Bay in Ichihara city, Chiba prefecture, extincted. (Started on Mar 11.) | Asahi | |
Mar 22 | Day 12 |
Tuesday "Victimes temporally buired in the ground. Higashi-Matsushima city, Miyagi prefecture." (Asahi) Northern winds and rain brought radioactives around Tokyo area (Kashiwa city and so on) resulting the warning not to drink tap water issued Mar 23. |
|
Tobu railway resumed express service to connect Tokyo and Aizu, western Fukushima prefecture. |
Rail | ||
Tohoku Shikansen resumed in its northern part between Morioka and Shinaomori. | Rail | ||
9:20 | Rolling blackout started over Kanto area. Until 22:00. | ||
12:38 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
Mar 23 | Day 13 |
Reserved soldiers of Self Defence Force are called. Tokyo metropolitan government issued an advisory for citizens in Tokyo not to feed babies tap water because of radioactive level. |
|
Graduation ceremony held outside at Akazaki juniorhigh, Ohfunato city. | Asahi | ||
1:12 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
7:12 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
7:36 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
8:47 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
15:20 | Rolling blackout started in Kanto area. Until 22:00. | ||
21:00 | Nuclear Safety Committee of the government eventually released forcast result of radioactive cloud movement by SPEEDI system. | Asahi | |
Mar 24 | Day 14 | Tohokudo highway resumed for all areas. | Kahoku |
Mar 25 | Day 15 | Government issuce advisory for people in 30 km range from Daiichi plant to evacuate. | |
18:20 | Rolling blackout started in Kanto area until 22:00. | ||
20:36 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
Mar 26 | Day 16 |
Suturday "Number of the victims exceeds 10,000" (Kahoku) |
|
Mar 27 | Day 17 | "Mass evacuations from Tsunami area" (Kahoku), "Damage of the Cores getting worse."(Yomiuri) | |
19:23 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
Mar 28 | Day 18 |
The last rolling blackout in Kanto. "23 years are required to process the rubbles in Miyagi prefecture." (Miyagi) |
|
7:24 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
9:20 | The last rolling blackout in Kanto until 13:00. | ||
Mar 29 | Day 19 | "The damage on Miyagi prefecture exceeds 1 trillion yen" | Kahoku |
Mar 30 | Day 20 | "146,000 cars damaged in Miyagi prefecture."(Kahoku) | |
Emperor and Emperess visited a shelter in Tokyo to encourage the evacuees. | IHA | ||
Mar 31 | Day 21 | "TEPCO accepted the discontinuance of Daiichi Plant" | Asahi |
Apr 1 | Day 22 | "The damage on Miyagi prefecture exceeds 1 trillion yen" | Kahoku |
19:49 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
Apr 2 | Day 23 | JR West reduced amount of train service due to shortage of parts for maintanance. | Rail |
Apr 3 | Day 24 | "Highly radioactive water in the plant flows directly to sea." | Yomiuri |
16:38 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
Apr 4 | Day 25 | Government determined the offcial name of the disastor as "Higashi Nippon Daishinsai" (Great earthquake disaster in eastern Japan). | |
18:29 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
Apr 5 | Day 26 |
The cores still hot. Unit 1 is over 200 C deg. Unit 2 is leaking highly radioactive water to the sea. Shueisha released digital data of Shuman Shonen Jump (the most popular cartoon magazine) on the Internet for free, because logistic system in damaged area was not working. |
Asahi |
Apr 6 | Day 27 | Injection of Nitrogen gas into Unit 1. | Yomiuri |
Apr 7 | Day 28 | Strong earthquake occered. Blackout over 4 million houses. | Asahi |
23:32 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
23:32 | Strong earthquake. Offshore of Miyagi prefecture. Dead 4. Tsumami Warning issued. | Chro, Metero | |
Apr 8 | Day 29 |
"The number of orphans reached 82. Worse than Hanshin disaster." (Asahi) Government declared end of rolling blackout in Kanto. |
|
Apr 9 | Day 30 | "First morning in temporal dwelling" | Yomiuri |
Apr 11 | Day 32 |
Strong earthquake occured. "One month passed. Dead 13,013." |
Kahoku |
17:16 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
17:16 | Earthquake in eastern Fukushima prefecture. Dead 4. | Metero | |
18:05 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
20:42 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
Apr 12 | Day 33 | The accident is evalated as INES level 7, same level of Chernobyl disaster | Asahi |
8:08 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
10:23 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
12:20 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
14:07 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero | |
16:14 | Rapid premonition of the earthquake was issued. | Metero |
Date | Time DIff | Event | Src |
---|---|---|---|
Mar, 2014 | 1100 day | Evacuees 251,419. | Gvmnt |