The quake moved portions of northeast Japan by as much as 2.4 m closer to North America , making portions of Japan 's landmass `` wider than before , '' according to geophysicist Ross Stein . The quake moved portions of northeast Japan by as much as 2.4 m ( 7.9 ft ) closer to North America , making portions of Japan 's landmass `` wider than before , '' according to geophysicist Ross Stein .