>>>http://www.abc.net.au/news/events/japan-quake-2011/beforeafter.htm
>>>
>>>I can only assume the death toll is going to be much much higher than the 1000+ figure being quoted
>>
>>This morning I read that it might be ten times as many are missing. They found one guy floating on his house's roof nine miles out to sea. The North American west coast is long overdue for a similar event. (Bonnie and Al? Will you be moving east soon?)
>
>There do seem to have been several ring of fire earthquakes recently. Chile, New Zealand
>
>The footage of the wave crossing the land and bulldozing houses was extremely scary. The movies seem to get this wrong, one commentator here compared it more to a wave of liquid concrete. Thats what it looked like a wave of rubble and debris.

It's more a raised slab of water when it hits land, than a wave.