Live updates: Major 7.5-magnitude earthquake strikes off Japan, tsunami alert issued
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Waves of up to 10 feet were expected to hit the area of Iwate prefecture on the main island of Honshu, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported.
A television screen shows a tsunami alert in Tokyo on Monday. Philip Fong / AFP via Getty Images
What to know
- MAJOR QUAKE: A powerful earthquake struck off the northern Japanese coast, measured at a magnitude of 7.5 by the Japan Meteorological Agency.
- TSUNAMI WARNING: The earthquake prompted a tsunami warning with waves of up to 10 feet expected to hit the area of Iwate prefecture on the main island of Honshu, public broadcaster NHK reported. Initial waves of up to two and a half feet have been reported.
- EVACUATION ORDERS: Residents of affected areas were urged to stay away from coastal areas, while tens of thousands of people were told to go to higher ground.
- NUCLEAR PLANTS UNAFFECTED: No abnormalities were reported at the Fukushima Daiichi, Fukushima Daini and other nuclear power plants, their operator said.
- NO DANGER TO U.S.: There is no tsunami expected in California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska or the Canadian province of British Columbia, the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center said.
Why tsunamis are deceptively dangerous
Unlike ordinary ocean waves, tsunamis carry an enormous volume of water and arrive as a sustained flood rather than a dramatic crashing wave, which makes them deceptively dangerous.
Officials warned of this danger today.
Even a wave just one foot high carries enough force to knock a person off their feet, sweeping along debris like fallen trees and overturned cars in a slurry.
A retreating wave is equally lethal, pulling people off land and dragging them out to sea.
Japan's location on a fault line makes it especially prone to earthquakes
Japan experiences tremors — both minor and major — almost every day, making it one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world.
The East Asian country sits on the “Ring of Fire,” where several tectonic plates converge, triggering many of the world’s earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Nearly 20% of global earthquakes measuring 6.0 or higher occur in Japan.
Since 2011, when a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami triggered meltdowns at three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Japan has significantly strengthened its earthquake warning systems and evacuation protocols.
Earthquakes of similar size could hit in coming days, officials say
Earthquakes of similar scale could take place over the next week, Kyodo News reported, citing the Japan Meteorological Agency.
An electronic bulletin board warning about the earthquake in Sendai city today. Jiji Press / AFP via Getty Images
Head to higher ground, Japanese prime minister says
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the government had set up an emergency task force and was assessing the damage.
“Residents in areas under tsunami warnings should immediately evacuate to higher ground or safe elevated locations,” she said, according to Reuters.
Tsunami warnings issued in Iwate, Aomori and Hokkaido
Japanese authorities have issued tsunami warnings for Iwate prefecture, the Pacific coast of Aomori prefecture and the central part of the Pacific coast of Hokkaido.
Lesser tsunami advisories have been issued for Fukushima prefecture, Miyagi prefecture, the Japan Sea coast of Aomori prefecture, and the western and eastern parts of the Pacific coast of Hokkaido.
Nuclear power plants unaffected, operators say
No abnormalities were reported at the Fukushima Daiichi and Fukushima Daini nuclear power plants, the Tokyo Electric Power Company has said, according to the public broadcaster NHK.
There has also been no change in radiation levels around the sites, the operator said.
There were also no abnormalities at other nuclear plants in Aomori prefecture and Miyagi prefecture.
During the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, three of the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant melted down due to tsunami damage in the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. Efforts to decommission the plant and remove radioactive material continue 15 years later and are expected to last decades.
Bullet trains partially suspended
The bullet train service connecting Tokyo to Shin Aomori in eastern Japan has been suspended due to the earthquake, the Tohoku Shinkansen operator, JR East, was quoted as saying by the public broadcaster NHK.
A crowded railway station in Sendai city of Miyagi Prefecture today, as the Shinkansen services are suspended after an earthquake hit northern Japan. JIJI Press / AFP via Getty Images
A secondary Shinkansen line, the Yamagata line connecting Tokyo to Fukushima, has also been suspended. Moreover, all local train lines have been suspended in Iwate prefecture, where waves nearly 3 feet high have already hit the coastline.
Waves as high as 2 1/2 feet reach Japan
Waves as high as two and a half feet have already been reported amid tsunami warnings and advisories in parts of Japan.
A television screen shows a news report in Tokyo today. Issei Kato / Reuters
The highest wave so far was at Kuji Port in Iwate prefecture, measuring about 80 centimeters in height. There were also waves at Miyako Port in Iwate (40 cm), Hachinohe Port in Aomori prefecture (30 cm), Urakawa Town in Hokkaido (20 cm) and Ishinomaki Ayukawa (20 cm).
There were also waves at Mutsu Ogawara Port in Aomori, Ofunato Port in Iwate and Kamaishi Port in Iwate, the heights of which have not been reported.
Residents in affected areas are still being encouraged to evacuate, as the second and third waves can sometimes be higher, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported.
Japan Meteorological Agency holding news conference shortly
The Japan Meteorological Agency will be holding a news conference at 6 p.m. local time (5 a.m. ET).
No tsunami expected on U.S. West Coast
Though tsunami warnings and advisories have been issued in parts of Japan, there is no tsunami expected in California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska or the Canadian province of British Columbia, the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center said on X.
Ships heading out to sea
The broadcaster NHK showed live pictures of ships leaving ports out to sea to avoid being caught up in any potential wave.
10-feet waves expected
The quake hit at 4:53 p.m. local time (3:53 a.m. ET) off the coast of Sanriku, the agency said, at a depth of more than 6 miles.
Japanese broadcaster NHK reported that a tsunami as high as almost 10 feet was “rapidly approaching” Iwate prefecture on the main island of Honshu, while a wave of similar size could reach Hokkaido’s Central Pacific Coast.
Major 7.5-magnitude quake hits Japan
A 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck this morning off the northeastern coast of Japan, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, prompting a tsunami warning and evacuation orders for tens of thousands of people.
