Major 7.5-magnitude earthquake hits off Japan, triggers tsunami warnings

April 20, 2026

A powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck off Japan’s northeastern coast on Monday, prompting authorities to issue a tsunami warning and urge people to stay away from coastal areas. Initial estimates suggested waves up to 3 meters high could rise.

Affected areas and evacuation

According to officials, the highest risk areas were in Iwate and Aomori prefectures on Honshu Island, as well as Hokkaido. Waves of about 80 centimeters high were recorded within an hour of the quake, while the threat of waves up to 3 meters remained.

Thousands of people were evacuated in coastal cities like Otsuchi and Kamaishi. These areas also suffered heavy damage in the 2011 disaster, NHK reported.

Government on alert, threat of aftershocks

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated that the government has formed an emergency task force and urged people to immediately evacuate.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has warned that strong aftershocks could occur in the coming days and weeks.

Transportation impacted, safety measures intensified

TV footage showed ships being moved out of Hachinohe Port in anticipation of the potential danger. Alerts such as “Tsunami! Evacuate immediately!” were broadcast.

Bullet train services in Aomori were temporarily suspended due to the earthquake. However, no disruptions have been reported at the decommissioned nuclear plants.

Japan is vulnerable to earthquakes

This earthquake was an ‘Upper 5’ magnitude on the Japan Earthquake Scale, making it difficult for people to stand and potentially damaging weak buildings. Its epicenter was approximately 10 km deep in the Pacific Ocean.

Located in the Pacific Ocean’s ‘Ring of Fire’ region, Japan is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries. An earthquake is recorded here every five minutes.

About 20% of the world’s earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.0 or greater occur in Japan, including the devastating 2011 earthquake that led to the Fukushima nuclear disaster.