Japan: A powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck off north-eastern Japan late on Monday, prompting evacuation orders for about 90,000 residents and triggering tsunami warnings that were later downgraded as the threat eased.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake hit at 11.15 pm local time, with its epicentre located about 80km off the coast of Aomori prefecture at a depth of 30 miles.
Initial warnings predicted waves up to three metres along parts of the north-eastern coastline, including Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate. Tsunamis between 20 and 70cm were later observed at several ports.
By early Tuesday, the warnings were reduced to advisories as wave heights fell and the risk of coastal flooding lessened. Authorities reported several fires in Aomori and instructed tens of thousands of residents to move to designated evacuation centres. The fire and disaster management agency confirmed that around 90,000 people had been told to seek shelter.
【報道発表】（R7.12.9）令和７年１２月８日23時15分頃の青森県東方沖の地震で揺れの大きかった地域では、大雨警報・注意報の発表基準を引き下げて運用します。https://t.co/iwLVB5gXNR
— 気象庁 (@JMA_kishou) December 8, 2025
Satoshi Kato, a high-school vice-principal in Hachinohe, said dishes crashed to the floor in his home when the quake hit. On his drive to the school, which serves as an evacuation site, he encountered heavy traffic and several accidents as residents rushed to leave their neighbourhoods. He said no evacuees had yet arrived when he reached the campus.
The tremor registered an ‘upper six’ on Japan’s seismic scale of seven in parts of Aomori, a level that makes it difficult to stand and can cause serious damage to buildings, including collapsed furniture and shattered windows.
East Japan Railway suspended some train services in the affected region, which experienced the devastating 9.0-magnitude earthquake in 2011. Power companies reported no issues at nuclear plants run by Tohoku Electric Power and Hokkaido Electric Power, although Tohoku Electric said thousands of customers had lost electricity.
Japan experiences frequent seismic activity due to its location on the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire,’ an arc of volcanoes and oceanic trenches. The country accounts for roughly one-fifth of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or higher.
