What significant natural disaster occurred in Japan in 2011?

The significant natural disaster that occurred in Japan in 2011 was both an earthquake and a tsunami. On March 11, 2011, a massive earthquake, known as the Tōhoku earthquake, struck off the northeastern coast of Japan. This earthquake, which registered a magnitude of 9.0, was one of the most powerful ever recorded. The earthquake triggered a series of devastating tsunami waves that inundated large swaths of the Japanese coastline, leading to widespread destruction and loss of life.

The combination of the earthquake and the resulting tsunami posed unique challenges for disaster response and recovery efforts. The impact was catastrophic, leading not only to physical destruction but also to nuclear disasters, such as the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant meltdown, which further complicated the situation.

Recognizing both the earthquake and the tsunami as part of the same disaster highlights the interconnected nature of these events and their cumulative effect on the affected regions. This is why the choice indicating both the earthquake and the tsunami is the most accurate representation of the disaster in question.