10 videos from the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

An earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale occurs 370 kms miles northeast of Tokyo at a depth of 25 kms.

It is the fifth largest earthquake on record and the largest ever to hit Japan.

A tsunami alert is issued in over 50 countries in the Pacific region including the west US coast.

Footage shows the coast guard being tossed around by giant waves produced by the quake.

Less than an hour after the quake, 9 meter (30 ft) waves destroy towns along the country's east coast.

The waves easily pour over sea walls, taking boats and debris with them.

Horrified on-lookers rush to higher ground to escape the water.

Just before 4pm, the water reaches the runway at Sendai airport, easily destroying objects in its path.

The waves reached as far as 10 km inland.

The wave of water easily overwhelmed the seawall protecting the Fukushima nuclear plant, cutting off power to the main control room which operated the coolant systems of six separate boiling water reactors.