Operation Tomodachi

On March 11, 2011, at 14:46 Japan Standard Time, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake occurred 81 miles to the east of Sendai, Japan. Over the course of the crisis, the United States and Japanese governments engaged in far-reaching cooperation, providing relief and aid to the affected areas of northeast Japan. The heart of the U.S.-Japan alliance, since the establishment of the alliance in 1951 with the Mutual Security Treaty, resides in the collaborative work undertaken by the U.S. military and the Japan Self Defense Forces (JSDF). Operation Tomodachi (トモダチ作戦) was the U.S. Armed Forces operation that supported Japan in disaster relief following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Tomodachi is the Japanese word for “friend,” indicating the deep nature of the relationship.