A significant seismic event struck northeastern Japan on Monday night, with the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reporting a powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake that prompted immediate tsunami warnings across multiple coastal regions.
The quake occurred at 23:15 local time (14:15 UTC) at a depth of approximately 50 kilometers beneath the seafloor. The tremor registered an upper 6 intensity on Japan’s 7-point seismic scale in the most severely affected zones, indicating substantial ground shaking capable of causing structural damage.
Following the seismic activity, the JMA issued urgent tsunami advisories for extensive coastal areas along the Pacific coastline. The agency specifically warned of potential waves reaching up to 3 meters in height for the prefectures of Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate. Additionally, tsunami advisories were extended to Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures as precautionary measures.
The earthquake’s epicenter was pinpointed offshore in the Pacific Ocean, positioned at coordinates 41.0 degrees north latitude and 142.3 degrees east longitude, east of Aomori Prefecture. This region has historically experienced significant seismic activity due to its location along the Pacific Ring of Fire.
Japanese authorities have initiated standard emergency response protocols, urging coastal residents to evacuate to higher ground immediately. The timing of the event—late evening—presented additional challenges for evacuation efforts and emergency response coordination. The comprehensive warning system implemented after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami was activated across the affected regions.