How Japan Moved in the Tohoku Earthquake

Some news reports are simplified saying Japan "moved east".

This is the map showing how Japan moved (deformed) in the Tohoku earthquake. Most of the motion was in the Tohoku region, where areas closer to the Pacific Ocean moved most to the east. These are screen captures of images on the web site of the Geospatial Institute of Japan (GSI). I found them today linked from the site: http://www.gsi.go.jp/chibankansi/chikakukansi_tohoku.html.

The first image shows horizontal motion. The image below shows vertical (downwards) motion.

Here is a good link to an article in the New York Times that is related and tells more:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/14/world/asia/14seismic.html