The Yomiuri Shimbun
The tsunami that devastated the Sanriku coast after last week's massive earthquake reached heights of more than 15 meters, according to investigations by the Port and Airport Research Institute.
After reaching land, the tsunami collided with coastal mountains, and the water was pushed up to heights of more than 20 meters, the institute said. Experts believe it was one of the largest tsunami to ever hit Japan.
The institute began examining the ports in the tsunami zone Wednesday. At Onagawa Port, investigators discovered wreckage atop a three-story building near the ocean. Windows had been broken all the way up the side facing the sea, leading investigators to estimate the height of the tsunami at over 15 meters high.
Sanriku, which extends from Aomori Prefecture to Miyagi Prefecture, is a ria coast--a jagged coastline--a factor that increased the height of the tsunami.
Shizuoka University Prof. Motoyuki Ushiyama, a specialist in disaster information, concluded the tsunami reached 20 meters along the mountains after analyzing aerial photographs of the damage to Rikuzen-Takata, Iwate Prefecture.
The largest recorded tsunami to hit the area was a 38.2-meter wave that struck Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, following the 1896 Meiji Sanriku Earthquake and Tsunami.
(Mar. 19, 2011)
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