TOKYO, Japan – A strong 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck off Japan’s north-east coast late on Monday night, shaking a wide area and forcing urgent evacuations in coastal communities. The quake hit at around 11:15 pm local time, prompting people in Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate prefectures to rush to higher ground under a serious tsunami threat.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a major tsunami warning soon after the quake, saying waves could reach up to 3 metres (around 10 feet). The warning was later downgraded to a tsunami advisory when the first waves, between 40 cm and 70 cm high, reached the shore. Even so, fear and confusion spread across the region.
In coastal cities like Hachinohe and Kuji, residents reported intense horizontal shaking that went on for nearly 30 seconds. Many said it was hard to stay on their feet, a level marked as “Upper 6” on Japan’s seismic intensity scale.
Prime Minister Takaichi Calls for Ongoing Caution
In an address from the Prime Minister’s Office in the early hours of Tuesday, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said at least seven people had been injured in the initial shock. Reported injuries included people struck by falling furniture and a driver in the Tohoku region whose car was swallowed by a crack in the road.
“Under the principle of putting human life first, the government is using every available resource for emergency response,” Prime Minister Takaichi said. She stressed that, although the most serious tsunami risk had passed, people still faced danger. “Residents must stay on high alert. There is a strong chance of large aftershocks or another powerful earthquake in the coming week.”
Her emergency task force is now checking the scale of the damage. Teams are paying close attention to older buildings and key infrastructure such as roads, bridges, ports, and power facilities.
Life on the Ring of Fire Keeps Japan Tense
This latest quake is a stark reminder of Japan’s position on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a horseshoe-shaped arc of intense seismic and volcanic activity around the Pacific Ocean. Japan sits on the meeting point of four tectonic plates, which makes it one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world.
Geologists have pointed to increased seismic activity along the Ring of Fire over the last year. In 2024 and 2025, monitoring stations picked up more tremors and volcanic eruptions than average along this arc, from Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula down to Indonesia.
The JMA recently issued a Hokkaido-Sanriku Subsequent Earthquake Advisory, warning that the chance of a “megaquake” along the Japan Trench is higher than usual. This is the same area where the 9.1 magnitude Tohoku earthquake in 2011 generated a devastating tsunami.
Evacuations and Disrupted Transport
According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, about 90,000 residents received orders to leave their homes. Many gathered in public halls, municipal offices, and school gymnasiums turned into temporary shelters. “The shaking would not stop,” said one Hachinohe resident. “We grabbed our emergency bags and ran. We remember 2011 too clearly.”
Transport across northern Japan has been badly affected. East Japan Railway halted Shinkansen bullet-train services between Fukushima and Aomori while crews inspected tracks, tunnels, and stations for damage. Several major expressways were also closed while engineers checked for cracks, buckled surfaces, and landslides linked to the quake.
In the power sector, early updates from Tohoku Electric Power and Hokkaido Electric Power showed that several thousand homes briefly lost electricity. Supply has been largely restored, and the companies say there are no signs of trouble at nuclear power plants in the area. Routine safety checks are underway at the Higashidori and Onagawa plants as part of standard emergency procedures.
Safety Guidance for Visitors and Foreign Residents
Local officials have issued extra safety advice for expatriates and travellers who are in northern Japan or planning to visit soon:
- Follow official updates: Check the Japan Meteorological Agency for real-time information on earthquakes and tsunamis.
- Make homes and rooms safer: Fix heavy furniture to the walls, move large items away from beds, and keep emergency kits where they are easy to reach.
- Know where to go: Learn local evacuation routes and locate the nearest high ground or designated shelter in each neighbourhood.
As daylight returns to Japan’s north-east coast, the focus shifts from immediate escape to damage checks, clean-up, and close monitoring of aftershocks. With the Prime Minister’s warning still fresh in people’s minds, many in Japan, long used to sudden movement of the earth beneath their feet, move through the day with a mix of calm preparation and quiet worry about what the next few days might bring.
