Economic Impacts

Question 1

What is the estimated cost of the earthquake, including reconstruction?

Answer 1

Between US$200 billion and nearly five times that amount

The exact cost can vary depending on inclusions and timescales.

Question 2

What factors influence the cost estimation of disasters?

Answer 2

What is included and the timescale used

Different methodologies can lead to varying estimates.

Question 3

What is uncertain about the future costs related to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear site?

Answer 3

The future costs of storing the waste after clearing up

This uncertainty affects overall cost assessments.

Question 4

What was the official number of buildings destroyed by the earthquake?

Answer 4

45,700 buildings destroyed

In addition, 143,300 buildings were damaged.

Question 5

How many vehicles were either destroyed or damaged in the earthquake?

Answer 5

230,000 vehicles

This includes both destroyed and damaged vehicles.

Question 6

What percentage of Japan’s fishing ports were damaged?

Answer 6

10 percent

Most of the fishing ports had reopened a year after the earthquake.

Question 7

How many households lost electricity due to the earthquake?

Answer 7

4.4 million households

Thousands of businesses also lost power.

Question 8

What was the major cause of the power disruption following the earthquake?

Answer 8

Immediate shutdown of 11 nuclear reactors

This was due to the damage from the tsunami.

Question 9

What happened to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant as a result of the tsunami?

Answer 9

The plant was decommissioned

All six reactors were severely damaged and cooling systems were disabled.

Question 10

What caused the meltdown of reactor cores at Fukushima?

Answer 10

Sea water flooding disabled cooling systems

This led to the release of radioactivity.

Question 11

What was established around the Fukushima plant due to radiation concerns?

Answer 11

A 30 km evacuation zone

This was necessary to protect residents from contamination.

Question 12

What impact did the earthquake have on the fishing industry?

Answer 12

Radioactivity continues to seep into the Pacific Ocean

This has ongoing effects and incurs further costs.

Question 13

How long did power cuts last in Japan after the earthquake?

Answer 13

3-4 hours at a time

These power cuts lasted for several weeks.

Question 14

How many train stations were swept away by the earthquake?

Answer 14

Twenty-three train stations

Others suffered severe damage, including collapsed roofs.

Question 15

What was the total amount of debris created by the earthquake?

Answer 15

25 million tonnes

This required a costly clean-up operation.

Question 16

What happened to farmland in large areas due to the tsunami?

Answer 16

Farmland was flooded by sea water and contaminated by salt

This made the land uncultivable.

Question 17

True or False: Two oil refineries were set on fire during the earthquake.

Answer 17

True

One fire took ten days to put out.

Question 18

What infrastructure was badly hit in the northeast of Japan?

Answer 18

Transport infrastructure

Many road bridges were damaged or destroyed.

Question 19

What was the impact on Japan’s stock market?

Answer 19

Japan’s stock market fell due to business implications

Question 20

Which companies were specifically mentioned as being affected?

Answer 20

Sony, Toyota, and Panasonic

Question 21

What caused the production issues for these companies?

Answer 21

The shortage of electricity

Question 22

How were overseas operations affected?

Answer 22

Supplies of parts exported from Japan were interrupted