<p><strong>A year ago this Sunday, a magnitude 9 <a href="http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/earthquake-profile.html">earthquake</a>—and the record-breaking, <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2011-04-24-Japan-record-tsunami-waves.htm">up to ten-story-tall</a> tsunami it spawned—killed some 20,000 people in Kisenuma (pictured the day after the <a href="http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/tsunami-profile/">tsunami</a>) and other cities in <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/japan-guide/">Japan</a>.</strong></p><p>It was one for the history books, for sure, but that doesn't mean it couldn't happen elsewhere. In fact, experts say at least six places worldwide have the geologic makings to become the next Japan.</p><p>What's more, the next mega-tsunami site may have it even worse.</p><p>After all, some 90 percent of the 200,000 people who lived in the path of the Japanese tsunami found safety during the short interval between the earthquake and the wave—a survival rate Oregon State University hazards-outreach specialist <a href="http://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/people/patrick-corcoran">Patrick Corcoran</a> attributes to Japan's history of earthquake preparedness.</p><p>(See more <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/03/110311-tsunami-earthquake-japan-hawaii-science-world-waves/">Japan earthquake and tsunami pictures and news</a>.)</p><p><em>—Richard A. Lovett</em></p>