On 11 March 2011, a mega-earthquake (magnitude 9.0) hit the northeastern coast of Japan, followed by tsunamis of historic scale and a series of nuclear power plant accidents. More than fourteen thousand people reportedly died, and thirteen thousand people remain missing as of 24 April 2011. Almost a half million people became homeless—mostly due to the earthquake and tsunami and the proximity of homes to atomic power plants. The unstoppable sweep of unleashed nature rendered humans desperate and stripped them of all hubris. The events of 3/11 devastated Japan's artifice in one fell swoop.
