Abundant evidence indicates that such a new volcano exists at L'ihi, a seamount (or submarine peak) located about 20 miles off the south coast.
In 2011, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake -- one of the worst ever to hit Japan -- killed more than 20,000 people and caused tsunamis of up to 12 meters (40 feet) which swamped the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, triggering a nuclear meltdown. Fukushima resident: We live in fear.
Here are some of the amazing facts about the Japan earthquake and tsunami. 1  The earthquake shifted Earth on its axis of rotation by redistributing mass, like putting a dent in a spinning top. 2  More than 5,000 aftershocks hit Japan in the year after the earthquake, the largest a magnitude 7.9.