Day of Life

What Is the Day of Life?

Every March 11th is "Day of Life" (いのちの日, Inochi no Hi) in Japan. It was established by the Disaster Medicine Study Group (Team Esteem, 災害時医療を考える会) — medical professionals, journalists, academics, disaster volunteers and others who took action for people's physical and mental health in the areas hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake — and is registered with the Japan Anniversary Association. Many lives were lost in the earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011; the day asks people to reflect on the value of life and to prepare for disasters without letting the lessons of the earthquake fade. Note that December 1 is also called "Day of Life" in Japan, but that is a separate day set by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as part of suicide prevention efforts.

March 11, 2011: Japan's Defining Disaster

At 2:46 p.m. on March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake — the most powerful ever recorded in Japan — struck off the Pacific coast of Tōhoku. The earthquake triggered a devastating tsunami whose run-up height reached as much as 40.1 meters, destroying coastal communities across Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures. Including disaster-related deaths, the dead and missing total more than 22,000. The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant added a nuclear crisis to the natural disaster and forced large numbers of residents to evacuate.

Remembrance and Resilience

Every March 11th at 2:46 p.m., Japan observes a minute of national silence. Memorial ceremonies are held in Tokyo and throughout Tōhoku. The founders hoped that, just as disaster drills are held on Disaster Prevention Day (September 1), March 11 would become an occasion to think about health, medical care, and systems for times of disaster. Symposiums and slogan contests have been held around the day. Recovery from the 2011 disaster has been Japan's largest postwar reconstruction effort, with communities slowly rebuilding over more than a decade.

More to Know

• Kizuna: The word "kizuna" (絆, bonds between people) became a symbol of Japan's response to the disaster and was chosen as the 2011 "Kanji of the Year."
• Disaster-related deaths: Besides those killed directly by the earthquake and tsunami, many deaths were recognized as "disaster-related," caused by the strain of evacuation life — underscoring the importance of medical care and health management after a disaster.
• "Tsunami tendenko": A saying handed down on the Sanriku coast urges everyone to flee to high ground on their own when a tsunami comes; it drew renewed attention after the 2011 disaster.