With the memory of the Feb. 22 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, still fresh, Japan was hit Friday afternoon by a massive earthquake centered offshore. It served as a terrifying reminder that big quakes can strike anytime and that the central government, local governments and residents must be prepared to help each other.

The quake, which occurred around 2:46 p.m. Friday, measured magnitude 8.8. It occurred 130 km east-southeast of Oshika Peninsula, Miyagi Prefecture, and the focal point was 24 km below the surface. The magnitude was larger than the 7.9 of the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, the most destructive natural disaster in Japan's history. Friday's quake followed a magnitude 5.8 quake that hit China on Thursday, killing at least 24 people and injuring more than 240.

The Tohoku region felt the strongest tremors, registering 7 on the Japanese scale of 7 in northern Miyagi Prefecture. It is feared that more than 1,300 people died Friday. Many deaths were caused by a once-in-a-hundred years tsunami — more than 10 meters in height at Sendai's new port.