What Is A Tsunami For Japan ?

What Is A Tsunami For Japan ?
Tsunamis are a source of severe damage and loss of life in Japan. These occurrences are not just contemporary experiences but have been happening over several hundred years.  Given the data, it can be concluded that tsunamis are a permanent physical characteristic of Japan.  They can hit anywhere in Japan, but they are most common on the Pacific coast.  In particular, high-energy tsunamis are frequently experienced in the Sanriku region in the northeast part of the main island of Honshu.  Two tsunamis, however, hit the Sea of Japan coast in 1983 and 1993, which underscores the need for vigilance in this area as well.
    Given Japan's location, it is safe to say that the tsunamis are not a temporary characteristic.  Japan is located in the "Ring of Fire" - an area known for its  large earthquakes that result in deadly tsunamis.  In less than a day, these tsunamis can travel from one side of the Pacific to the other.  Because Japan is surrounded by water, the tsunami threat is immediate.  Another reason why Japan is linked to tsunamis is because of plate tectonics.  It is located near the colliding margins of four tectonic plates - the Eurasian, the North American, the Pacific, and the Philippine.  These plates move very rarely and when they do it is not much.  Therefore, Japan will be near this collision center for a long time coming.  80% of the world's tsunamis appear to be generated by undersea earthquakes around the Pacific Rim.  Japan is hit by nearly all of them.  This is not likely to change.
    On several occasion, tsunamis various meters high have swept across Japan, washing whole villages into the sea.  Inhabitants of Japan have learned to deal with this, however.  The Japan Meteorological Agency is able to contact the people minutes after an earthquake is reported.  This can give the people some warning to leave their homes and rush to the mainland.  Leaving no hope for their homes, at least they can save their own lives.
Read a paper that describes national coastal conditions and trends, and why Japan is so vulnerable to natural disasters such as tsunamis - Vulnerability and Adaption to Sea-Level Rise in Japan
Read about the Tsunami Engineering Division - This Disaster Control Research Center studies tsunamis from the engineering point of view and have made numerous efforts to develop a numerical simulation technique in order to help control tsunami disasters.
Read another paper about the Japanese coastal zone environment and ways to prevent its natural disasters - A Theory of Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Japan