The 8.8 magnitude earthquake ranks as the fifth strongest in the world since records began. It's caused the entire island of Japan to move a distance of 2.4 meters.

It's also created a shift in the earth's axis of 25 centimeters, shortening each day from now on by 1.26 microseconds.

The energy of the quake is 180 times greater than the 7.3 magnitude quake that struck Hanshin, Japan, in 1995.