A powerful earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale struck northeastern Japan late on Monday, causing significant alarm across the region. The strong tremors led authorities to issue evacuation orders for nearly 90,000 residents, urging them to move to safer areas as a precaution. Immediately after the quake, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) released tsunami warnings, though these were later reduced to advisories a few hours afterward once the situation became clearer.
According to the JMA, the earthquake occurred off the northeastern coast at around 11:15 p.m. local time (1415 GMT). Initial assessments suggested that a tsunami reaching up to 3 metres (approximately 10 feet) could impact coastal areas. As a result, tsunami alerts were issued for Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate prefectures.
Following the quake, smaller tsunami waves—ranging between 20 to 70 centimeters (7 to 27 inches)—were recorded at multiple ports along the northeastern coastline. These measurements indicated that while the threat had lessened, authorities continued to advise caution as they monitored the situation closely.
In the early hours of Tuesday, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reduced its earlier tsunami warnings to mere advisories. This downgrade indicated that the agency now expected lower wave heights and a significantly reduced likelihood of coastal flooding.
According to officials, the earthquake’s epicentre was located roughly 80 kilometres (50 miles) off the coast of Aomori Prefecture, at a depth of about 54 kilometres beneath the seabed. On Japan’s seismic intensity scale, which ranges from 1 to 7, the quake registered an “upper 6” in Hachinohe city, Aomori. Tremors of this magnitude are powerful enough to make standing upright extremely difficult—people often cannot move without crawling. Such strong shaking typically causes heavy furniture to topple and can lead to widespread damage, including cracked walls, fallen tiles, and shattered windowpanes.
By 1700 GMT, public broadcaster NHK reported that there were no major, widespread casualties or severe destruction known at that point. However, the outlet shared an account from a hotel employee in Hachinohe who noted that several individuals had sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. Fortunately, all of those injured were said to be conscious.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi informed reporters early on Tuesday morning that, based on the latest updates she had received, seven people have been reported injured so far. She emphasized that authorities are continuing to monitor the situation closely as more information comes in.
In response to the incident, East Japan Railway (9020.T) has halted several train services in the affected region as a precautionary measure. This area is particularly sensitive to seismic activity, as it was among the regions severely impacted by the devastating 9.0-magnitude earthquake that struck in March 2011. The memories of that disaster continue to influence safety protocols and emergency response efforts today.
A JMA official stated during a press briefing that there remains a significant chance of experiencing more intense and powerful earthquakes in the coming days. In response to the recent tremor, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a broad advisory covering a wide stretch of the country—from the northernmost island of Hokkaido all the way down to Chiba prefecture, located east of Tokyo. Authorities urged residents across this region to stay vigilant, warning that another strong earthquake could strike within the next week.
Meanwhile, utility operators reported that nuclear power plants managed by Tohoku Electric Power and Hokkaido Electric Power were functioning normally, with no abnormalities detected following the quake. Tohoku Electric Power initially announced that several thousand households had been affected by power outages, but later revised the figure, stating that only a few hundred homes were ultimately impacted.
Yen Dips Briefly
The yen briefly weakened after the quake but soon recovered. The dollar hit a session high at around 155.81 yen, and the euro also reached its peak level. Japan, located in the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, experiences frequent earthquakes—about 20% of all global quakes of magnitude 6 or above occur there.
The northeastern region was devastated on March 11, 2011, when a 9.0-magnitude undersea quake triggered massive tsunamis, killing nearly 20,000 people and causing the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Since then, Japan issues a one-week ‘megaquake’ advisory after any major tremor, a system introduced after noticing a 7-magnitude quake struck two days before the 2011 disaster. A similar advisory was also issued in August last year for the Nankai Trough region.
