On Friday, March 11 at 2:46PM local time, a magnitude 8.9 earthquake rocked northeastern Japan, triggering a 23-foot tsunami that battered the prefectures of Miyagi, Fukushima, and Sendai. Many were killed, and homes and property were swept away by the tsunami. Aftershocks of magnitude 5.0 were being reported through the next day. In southern Japan, volcano Shinmodake erupted, causing the largest volcanic activity in over 53 years.

The quake triggered an explosion in an oil refinery in Chiba, and caused two nuclear power plants to be knocked offline. In particular, The Fukushima #1 plant has experienced what is expected to be a partial meltdown. The plant's backup power system was knocked out by the tsunami, causing the rods to be without cooling waters that are required to keep the plant's rods from melting. The area around the plant has experienced a sharp rise in radiation. The area is being evacuated, as techicians work around the clock to try to prevent a core meltdown.

In the anime industry, notices of safety have been posted by manga creators, anime staff, and other figures on social networks and via artist homepages. Artists are posting messages of support for the survivors, and celebrities are organizing fund drives. TM Revolution announced that all proceeds from his March 30 concert will be donated to relief efforts, and Gackt and AKB48 both announced that they would start donation drives.