Abstract: On March 11, 2011, eastern Japan was shaken by the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake (the Great East Japan Earthquake). Almost 30 000 people have been killed or are missing as a result of that earthquake and the subsequent monster tsunami, as of April 11, 2011. This paper reports several aspects of this devastating earthquake. It has been reported that long-period ground motions, which had been predicted by many researchers, occurred in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka. The response characteristics of high-rise buildings to the recorded long-period ground motions are discussed from the viewpoint of resonance and critical excitation. It is shown that high-hardness rubber dampers are very effective in the reduction of vibration duration in addition to the reduction in vibration amplitude.

Key words: Tohoku Earthquake, Disaster, Long-period ground motion, High-rise building, Critical excitation, Tsunami

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