A powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck off Japan’s northern coast, triggering tsunami warnings and evacuations, and a special warning was issued on Monday warning of an increased risk of a “major” quake.At around 4:53 pm local time, an earthquake occurred off the coast of Sanriku with a focal depth of about 10 kilometers. Within an hour, a tsunami of about 80 centimeters was detected at Kuji Port in Iwate Prefecture, and another port recorded a tsunami of about 40 centimeters.
Advisory warns of further risks
After the earthquake, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a special report stating that “the possibility of a new major earthquake is relatively higher than normal.” Officials emphasized that the advice is not a prediction but urges residents to prepare while continuing their daily lives.The Japanese Cabinet Office and the Meteorological Agency said that following an earlier earthquake near the Kurilo Trough, there is a 1% chance of a major earthquake of magnitude 8.0 or above occurring on the northern coast within the next week. Similar warnings were issued after another major earthquake in December, but no major incidents followed.
Evacuation and ground response
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake was strong enough to shake high-rise buildings in Tokyo hundreds of kilometers away from the epicenter.In Hokkaido, waves swell close to the coast, prompting residents to move to higher ground. Video showed people evacuating to parks and elevated areas. In the city of Tomakomai, a resident said he planned to stay at the top of the mountain with his children until the warning was lifted.More than 128,000 residents of Iwate and three other northern prefectures were under evacuation warnings. Authorities urged people to stay away from coastal areas and rivers and warned that aftershocks could occur within a week.Although the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later said the threat “has now passed,” warnings remained in place for waves as high as 3 meters.
No major damage reported
Despite the magnitude of the quake, officials said no major casualties or damage, including to power stations, had been reported. Nuclear regulatory authorities confirmed that the nuclear facilities were operating normally and there were no abnormalities.Transport services were disrupted, with several bullet train operations suspended in northeastern Japan. The Tohoku, Yamagata and Akita Shinkansen lines are affected, as well as some services in Tokyo.
Japan’s earthquake risk
Japan remains one of the most seismically active countries in the world, accounting for more than 10% of global earthquakes of magnitude 6 or above. On average, an earthquake of magnitude 7 or above occurs approximately every 16 months.The latest developments come 15 years after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, a magnitude 9.0 disaster that killed more than 22,000 people and displaced nearly half a million, many of them due to tsunami devastation and the Fukushima nuclear crisis.
