This is the true story of an American man living in Tokyo on March 11, 2011, the day of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Erik Curre was trapped at work when the quake struck without warning, causing widespread chaos and paralyzing the capital city by bringing Tokyo’s railway network to a screeching halt. He recounts the uncertainty and fear in the initial hours after the quake, with nobody knowing what was going on outside and being unable to reach his wife with the phones down. Far from home and with no reliable method of transportation, he embarked on an incredible journey, attempting to walk all night through a city on edge to reunite with his family.

Weighing in at magnitude 9.0, the earthquake was the strongest ever recorded in Japan, and ended up being the country’s worst crisis since World War II. Thousands of people lost their lives and great areas of the coast were devastated in the massive tsunami triggered by the quake. And now, through the author’s eyes, from dawn to dawn, you can experience the events of this uniquely tragic day as it unfolds. A deeply personal story, this tale offers an up-close and vivid perspective on the costliest natural disaster in human history.