# Five years ago today

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-years-ago-today/748694>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [March 11, 2016, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-years-ago-today/748694 "2016-03-11T22:07:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-years-ago-today/748694/1 "2016-03-11T22:07:00Z")

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Five years ago today the 9.0 earthquake struck off the coast of Japan, triggering a massive tsunami. 18,000 people were killed.

I remember staring dumbstruck at the footage of the tsunami as it was occurring. It was some of the most terrifying video I’ve ever seen.

My thoughts are with you today, Japan.

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**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-years-ago-today/748694/2 "2016-03-11T22:49:49Z")

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I heard a guy speak at a film festival, he’d been in Japan at the time of the quake. He saw a window-washer dangling five floors up, swinging back and forth in his safety harness. Lucky guy, he didn’t fall, but I bet he needed clean underwear after an experience like that.

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**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2016, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-years-ago-today/748694/3 "2016-03-12T01:15:00Z")

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Today, we are all Japanese.

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**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-years-ago-today/748694/4 "2016-03-13T01:27:54Z")

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And only \*slightly \*more radioactive.