The Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) was the first disaster ever recorded that included an earthquake, a tsunami, a nuclear power plant accident, a power supply failure, and a large-scale disruption of supply chains. This volume is part of a larger knowledge-sharing project sponsored by the World Bank and the government of Japan that collects and analyses information, data, and evaluations performed by academic and research institutions, nongovernmental organisations, government agencies, and the private sector - all with the objective of sharing Japan's knowledge on disaster risk management (DRM) and postdisaster reconstruction with countries vulnerable to disasters so they can mainstream DRM in their development policies and planning. Other countries can protect themselves from major disasters by adopting - and adapting as necessary - some of the measures taken by Japan, and by understanding the strengths and weaknesses of Japan's response to the GEJE.