Tokyo — A powerful earthquake struck off Japan’s northern coast Monday, prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) to issue a tsunami alert for the region. The quake, preliminarily measured at magnitude 7.5, occurred off the Sanriku coast at about 4:53 p.m. local time (2:53 a.m. Eastern), at a depth of roughly 6 miles below the sea surface, the agency said.
The JMA reported initial tsunami waves of about three feet struck a port in Kuji in northern Iwate Prefecture. In a press release, the agency warned larger waves could follow and urged people to remain in safe locations until warnings are lifted, saying, “Tsunamis can strike repeatedly. Do not leave your safe place until the warning is lifted.”
Officials advised residents to move to higher ground and to watch for landslides or additional quakes in the days ahead. NHK public television cited forecasts of tsunami waves up to 10 feet and issued evacuation warnings for people along the eastern coasts of Iwate on Honshu and parts of Hokkaido to move inland to higher ground.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the government had set up an emergency task force. Television alerts urged residents in Iwate, Aomori and Hokkaido to evacuate immediately to higher ground or safe elevated locations. NHK footage showed ships leaving a Hokkaido port ahead of the waves, and Kyodo News reported that some high-speed bullet train services in Aomori were suspended.
The quake recalled the catastrophic March 11, 2011, magnitude 9.0 temblor and resulting tsunami that devastated northern Japan, killing more than 22,000 people and forcing nearly half a million from their homes. That 2011 tsunami caused major damage at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, dispersing radiation and displacing roughly 160,000 people from the Fukushima Prefecture; about 26,000 have not returned due to relocation, restricted areas or ongoing radiation concerns.
Japanese media initially reported that at least two nuclear power plants in the tsunami-warning area in the northeast were not affected by Monday’s quake; both were offline. Authorities noted that it was the tsunami following the 2011 quake, rather than the initial shaking, that caused the most serious damage at Fukushima Daiichi.
In addition to tsunami precautions, officials warned residents to stay alert for aftershocks and potential landslides as response and assessment efforts continue.
