The Japan quake was 8000 times stronger than Christchurch's and unzipped a faultline half the size of the North Island, a NZ scientist says.

Yoshimi Okazaki lost her home and job in the Christchurch quake. Now her loved ones are missing in the devastating Japanese quake and tsunami.

More than half a million people have been forced from their homes in quake and tsunami-hit northern Japan, petrol has run dry and supermarkets are empty in what its prime minister says is the worst crisis to hit Japan since WWII.

Japanese officials warned of a possible second explosion at a nuclear plant crippled by the earthquake and tsunami as they raced to stave off multiple reactor meltdowns, but they provided few details about whether they were making progress.

Three nuclear power plants in Japan have suffered failure, with a top Government official warning a meltdown at one of the plants was "highly possible". Over 10,000 people are thought to be missing as officials fight to avoid a catastrope

The family of a NZ man in Japan have heard nothing from him since hours before the deadly quake and tsunmai which struck on Friday night

80 Matakana families have been without highway access to their homes for six weeks since cyclone

Kiwis' nerves fray after a tsunami alert and an earthquake off Tonga.

Recent events have many asking what science is doing to forewarn us of major earthquakes.

All but "a few" New Zealanders registered as living in northeast Japan have been located.