The Day Japan Fears The Most: $1 Trillion Megaquake

Japan lives in the shadow of an unthinkable existential event. How prepared is Tokyo really for the worst case scenario? We go in search of answers.

Thanks to the organisations who featured in this documentary:

Tokyo Met Gov Disaster Preparedness Resources:
■Tokyo Metropolitan Government Disaster Prevention X Account

■TMG Disaster Prevention Information Homepage
※It is possible to select languages at the top of page.

National Film Archive of Japan (Japan historical footage from 1923): @NFAJ_PR

Photos of emergency humanitarian assistance by the international NGO Japan Platform:
'Support for Victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake' ©JPF provided by the following NPOs:


Special thanks to the amazing people of Wajima who took part in this documentary.

Huge thanks to the awesome team at Virgin Earth who were invaluable in producing this documentary.

00:00 The Day Japan Fears
2:22 Wajima: A Town Devastated
16:01 Preparations in Tokyo
25:55 Survival Kit
28:20 Tokyo's $2 Billion Cave
30:12 The Worst Case Scenario: Fuji Erupting
33:22 The Future of Wajima

**FOLLOW THE ADVENTURE**
► Instagram: @abroadinjapan

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[AbroadinJapan]

This project was a huge undertaking! Please show it some love 🙏
Originally we planned for this video to focus on the threat of a megaquake in Tokyo. Then we arrived in Wajima. We expected the town to have recovered after the January 1st earthquake, but neither myself nor the team were prepared for what we found. A huge thank you to the amazing people of Wajima for taking part in this documentary.

[PiracyAgreement]

An underrated part of being on this channel is seeing a genuinely decent bloke grow and become better at his craft.

[Dogen]

Finally had a chance to watch—masterclass in storytelling from start to finish! 脱帽

[bh]

This felt like watching a highly produced BBC documentary, not a video on YouTube.
Chris you have honed your craft to an amazing level.
I know it's not much but here is my thanks.

[ThePandaKen]

I know you've mentioned over the years having the artistic desire to go more into "filmmaker" than "youtuber, " and I have to say you definitely did that with this. The quality of audio and video are on par with anything you'd see on Netflix. The b-roll footage and on-site footage/narration are all done really well. The way you structured everything and told a story with the Wajima market now being a travelling market, persevering through it all, was really cool. I know the random opinion of a guy online doesn't mean much, but I think you should be very proud of this project and I'm really glad to see you're able to combine your love of filmmaking with your love of Japan & its people.

[cocleum]

地震のあった現地の取材だけでなく 東京都知事にもインタビューをするなんてすごい
この動画を作ってくれてありがとう

[connielasher]

As someone who loves Japan and works there regularly, I applaud your work on this documentary. Like you and many of your viewers, I walked the streets of places like Ishinomaki, saw firsthand the unimaginable power of these large earthquakes and the tsunami that follow. And firsthand the greater power of the citizens of Tohoku whose resilience is a bright light of what humanity can be at its best. I very much hope that you continue to use your considerable YT platform to showcase what Japan and the Japanese people can offer to the world by way of example in facing disasters and hardship with humanistic resoluteness and technological creativity. With increasing climate destabilization and ensuing disasters, the world will need to learn some lessons from Japan about communitarian values, love of place, and resilience over the long haul. This, in contrast to the obnoxious trend of high intensity exploitative tourism and the superficial "consumption" of Japan that has so increased in the aftermath of the COVID reopening. Thank you for bringing this documentary to YT. I look forward to more like it.

[kllkhsn]

As a Japanese, I feel ashamed of myself for not knowing much about the tragic situation in other parts of my country. I'm from a region where scholars have long anticipated a big earthquake to happen in the next few decades, so I've grown up being told how devastatingly it would change our lives. Now, living in Tokyo, I've forgotten the importance of preparations, but your amazing video reminded me of its significance again. Huge thanks for always making stunning videos, and I'm really looking forward to more of your upcoming work.

[kocronashi]

That shot at G-CANS was unreal. Chris walking through there looks like it's CGI 🤯

[vijaymane]

The cinematography, the narration, the topic....Chris you've done it, you've become the director you always wanted to be.

[psivewri]

Excellent work Chris! It's fascinating to hear the stories from the residents that experienced the earthquake themselves.

[JackKing-uh]

This is the reason why YouTuber such as Logan Paul and Mr beast cannot ever come close to you, they lack your clear compassion. Thanks for being a better side of YouTube 👌

[RenneVangr]

These documentaries always remind me that Chris is not just a belligerent Connor bully, who likes to drink a little too much from time to time.
But that he is a genuinely caring person who feels obligated to show us not only the fun and wacky side of Japan, but also its hardships. In a beautiful way, night I add, as always.
Amazing work!

[arthuralford]

As a survivor of Hurricane Katrina, I can empathize all too well with the residents of Wajima. The shock and loss, trying to rebuild and always having this feeling that things will never be right again. You lose your sense of safety, of normality. There is the way things were in the time before the disaster, and the time after. Living among the ruins is depressing and simply going to the next town over-where the world is still "normal"-is a shock to your sense of reality. It takes time to heal. But there are things you never truly heal from.

Thanks Chris, for showing me Wajima, and reminding me of how fragile our existence really is. I hope they recover. Things will never be the same, but it will help heal the wounds. Physical and mental

[BaverIy]

These scenes truly moved me to tears. I had no idea that so many people are still facing such immense struggles and have not yet recovered, even after almost a year. It’s heartbreaking to see the ongoing challenges they endure. Thank you for creating this powerful documentary and shedding light on their experiences. If it’s possible, I’d deeply appreciate an update on their situation and how they’re coping. ❤

[leo]

This is going to be long but thank you so much for making such a in depth and engaging documentary that addresses not only past earthquakes and also the future for an issue that on ongoing within Japan.

I was also a resident in Sendai for a while and I experienced a 7.0 earthquake in 2021 and for people who have not experienced something on that scale its actually very difficult to imagine how it impacts you after, even if you didnt suffer any physical injuries (every time i hear the sirens my heart drops even if its in a movie or a video).

Anyone who travels to Japan and down the Sanriku coast where the 2011 earthquake hit can still see the impact it has had even today. Whole sections of the coast are barren, areas of Fukushima are still gated off, communities are still in temporary housing and recovering even 13 years on from the quake.

For anyone reading this, please support those communities by going there, buying their local produce, learning about the area because it helps them to recover and rebuild.

And for those worried about earthquakes, all Japanese people, children and adults alike, are well trained for natural disasters and you can count on them to give you support when you need it.

Again I am thankful for this video and keep doing what youre doing Abroad in Japan!

[Daruma_Studio]

I am an Emergency Manager from the USA with 6 years experience in Japan after the Tohoku / Fukushima Nuclear Disaster. This video is fantastic documentation of the importance of prep and mitigation. I will be coming back to Japan soon, and I want to do work to protect people from the next one.

[ChadyotheWallnut]

Bloody good work on this Chris & Crew, this is what an 'influencer' is supposed to do.

[writeordie]

Thank you for not dubbing any of the interviews. Subtitles is plenty for us who don't know the language, and it feels far more honest and real without the dubbed voices.

[cnolan]

I didn't plan on crying today....but here we are. This is beautiful and heart wrenching. Focusing on the people....amazing.
Chris, this is an extremely well done documentary. Thank you.