On March 11, 2011, a powerful magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck off the coast of Japan, triggering a massive tsunami. The earthquake was one of the strongest ever recorded and caused widespread destruction in the northeastern region of the country. The tsunami waves reached heights of up to 40 meters, inundating coastal towns and causing significant loss of life and property. The disaster also led to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, where the tsunami disabled cooling systems at the nuclear power plant, resulting in radiation leaks and long-term environmental concerns.