A powerful earthquake struck off the Sanriku coast in northeastern Japan at 4:53 p.m. local time on Monday, triggering tsunami warnings across multiple prefectures. The United States Geological Survey recorded a magnitude of 7.4, while Japan’s Meteorological Agency reported it as 7.7.
The event has prompted immediate evacuations for nearly 172,000 residents in five affected prefectures, including Iwate, Aomori, and Hokkaido—regions still haunted by the trauma of the 2011 earthquake that killed over 22,000 people. As tsunami waves were detected almost instantly, Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged residents to move to higher ground without delay.
The Japan Meteorological Agency warned of up to 3 meters (approximately 10 feet) in coastal areas, with observed wave heights reaching 0.8 meters at Kuji Port and 0.4 meters at Miyako Port in Iwate Prefecture. Officials noted a 1% probability of a larger earthquake occurring within the next week near the Chishima and Japan trenches—a significant increase from the usual 0.1% chance.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority confirmed that nuclear power plants, including Fukushima Daiichi, Fukushima Daini, Onagawa, and Higashidori, remained operational with no abnormalities detected. As of the latest reports, there have been no injuries or structural damage to homes in the affected areas, though approximately 200 power outages were reported and train services on multiple lines were suspended.
The tsunami warning has since been downgraded to an advisory.