Japan Tsunami: Footage of Nature's power and fury

It was a year ago on Sunday that north-eastern Japan was ravaged by an 8.9 magnitude earthquake which then triggered a devastating tsunami. The forces that were unleashed destroyed villages and towns killing more than 15,000 people and leaving hundreds of thousands more homeless.

The full scale and severity of the disaster was conveyed by footage taken by both professionals and amateurs alike. The world was able to see impact it has from so many perspectives because of the ability of so many ordinary people to capture on film what was going on around them.

Here are some of the most arresting videos from the disaster.



1) Aerial view of the moment the tsunami hit Japan
 
The colossal size of the waves that hit mainland Japan can be truly seen in this clip. Tides rose up to 40.5m (133ft) in the Iwate Prefecture, tearing through entire neighbourhoods.

Houses and factories were swept aside by these waves that struck Ofuna and Rikuzentaka. The damage to the fishing industry in this part of Japan was estimated at £2.8bn.  


  
2)  Ship faces tsunami face on

This clip shows the moment a coastguard ship encountered a huge wave three miles out at sea. The ‘Matsushima’ eventually manages to crest the enormous wave, which measured more than 30ft when it hit the Japanese coastline.

[Related gallery: Japan tsunami aftermath: Then and now]

In contrast to the aerial perspectives which were taken from some distance away, this video displays the terror faced by those aboard a ship in the churning seas. A number of voices can be heard as the wave approaches the Matsushima- with clear relief once the ship stabilised.  

3)  Aftermath of deadly tsunami in Otsuchi

Some of the most dramatic footage showed what happened in the aftermath. The huge scale of destruction is seen in this clip taken in the northeastern town of Otsuchi. Hundreds of boats were swept away with one cruiser left perilously balanced on top of an apartment block surrounded by debris.


4)  CCTV catches tsunami swamping Sendai airport

Waves that struck Japan were not only huge, they also hit with breakneck speed. Footage taken at an airport in Sendai shows the moment the runway was swamped with water which had advanced inland. Breaking waves can be seen at the top of the screen as just about everything submerges.

[Related story: Japan earthquake and tsunami: Incredible stories revealed one year on]

Sendai was doubly affected by the disaster as it was the city closest to the epicentre of the earthquake.