Progress to Date

Removal of Debris

More than 16 million tons of debris was left in the wake of the earthquake/tsunami disaster. In August 2011, just five months after the incident, all debris classified as high priority was removed from the three most affected areas, the coastal municipalities of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, and transferred to makeshift yards for treatment. The remaining debris removal is expected to be completed by March 2013.

Solid progress is also being made towards treating all disaster-related debris in these areas. As of February 2013, 53% of the debris from Iwate and Miyagi prefectures has been treated. The final target of treating 100% of debris has been set for the end of March 2014. To meet this goal, a total of 31 temporary incinerators have been put into operation in Iwate and Miyagi prefectures so far, with an additional three in Fukushima prefecture. Other prefectures such as Tokyo, Osaka and Niigata have also been cooperating to accelerate the process. For further information on the progress of debris treatment, click here:

Current status of removal of waste generated by the March 2011 disaster:

Please visit the Ministry of Environment's new website "Photo Channel" to see a series of "before and after" pictures that show the current status of debris treatment in the affected areas. (Japanese only)

For additional details on tsunami debris, including actions being taken by the Government of Japan to respond to tsunami debris that has washed ashore in other Pacific countries or is still drifting, please visit here.