On March 11th, 2011, a devastating maginitude-9.0 earthquake rocked Japan's Tōhoku region. It triggered massive tsunami waves that washed away roughly 3,500 houses and buildings while also devouring everything else in its path — including the lives of thousands of people. The day has been etched into the memories of everyone living in Japan at the time, and the disaster has made people vow to never forget the lives lost and to be better prepared for future catastrophes.

With Japan approaching the 6th anniversary of the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Yahoo! Japan took to the streets of Tokyo to make a powerful statement. Placing a large message board on a tall building in the Ginza district, they marked the skyscraper with the height of the highest observed wave of the disaster. The red line in the display indicates the 16.7-meter (54.8 feet) mark, which Yahoo! Japan declared as the height of the largest wave in 2011.

The board says: “If the 16.7-meter tsunami had hit the middle of Ginza, it would have reached this (red highlighted section) height. It is much higher than one would imagine, but our actions can change just by knowing its enormity. We can start preparing now. We can gain understanding and wisdom through the memories of the victims. We will never forget that day.”