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People keen to witness the devastating effects of a natural disaster can now take a virtual tour through Japan's tsunami-hit communities.

Google Street View has digitally archived vast areas of the north-eastern disaster zone.

The massive project to document the damage and rebuilding effort is aimed at providing the world with an accurate picture of the devastation caused by the natural disaster.

The internet giant announced in July that it was trying to map the 44,000km of affected roads following the March 11 magnitude nine earthquake which triggered the tsunami. [dm]

On Monday Kei Kawai, senior product manager, Street View, posted that the company had made good on its promise.

He wrote: 'The 360-degree panoramic imagery of those areas is now available through the Street View feature in Google Maps.

'The images can also be viewed via a special website called "Memories for the Future" where you can easily compare before and after shots of the towns changed by these events.

On the record: The massive project to document the damage and rebuilding effort is aimed at providing the world with an accurate picture of the devastation caused by the natural disaster

Wrecked: The images can also be viewed via a special website where people can compare before and after shots of the towns changed by the tsunami

'A virtual tour via Street View profoundly illustrates how much these natural disasters have transformed these communities.

'If you start inland and venture out toward the coast, you'll see the idyllic countryside change dramatically, becoming cluttered with mountains of rubble and debris as you get closer to the ocean.

'In the cities, buildings that once stood proud are now empty spaces.

'In the bottom left corner of each image you'll also see a month and year that tells you when a particular photograph was taken.

'When looking at images of the magnificent cities side-by-side with images of the ruins left in their place, this additional context demonstrates how truly life-changing this tragedy has been for those who live there and witnessed the destruction of their homes, neighbourhoods and even entire districts.'

Helpful: It is hoped that the post-tsunami imagery of Japan will be useful to researchers and scientists who study the effects of natural disasters

Something to remember: Google also hopes that the street-level imagery will ensure memories of the disaster remain relevant and tangible for future generations

Google hopes that the imagery of post-tsunami Japan will be useful to researchers and scientists who study the effects of natural disasters and those who want to better understand the extent of the damage.

'Seeing the street-level imagery of the affected areas puts the plight of these communities into perspective and ensures that the memories of the disaster remain relevant and tangible for future generations,' Mr Kawai added.