A magnitude 7.5 earthquake shook the eastern coast of Honshu late Monday night, prompting widespread evacuations and triggering tsunami alerts across northern Japan. The Japan Meteorological Agency reported that the quake struck at around 11:15 p.m. at a depth of 54 kilometers, with the epicenter located off the coast of Aomori Prefecture. The strong offshore tremor sent shockwaves through multiple regions and caused immediate concern for residents living along the Pacific coast.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed early Tuesday morning that at least thirty people had been injured during the earthquake. Local governments ordered more than one hundred thousand residents across several prefectures to evacuate as emergency services assessed the scale of the damage and monitored tsunami activity. Sirens, alerts and public broadcasts urged communities to move to higher ground as a precautionary measure.
The JMA initially issued tsunami warnings for coastal areas of Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate, estimating that waves could reach heights of up to three meters. Although the waves ultimately remained below those initial projections, officials stressed that even smaller surges can be dangerous. By early Tuesday, tsunami waves had been recorded at several observation points. Kuji City in Iwate Prefecture saw the highest at around seventy centimeters, while coastal sites in Hokkaido and Aomori reported waves between ten and fifty centimeters.
At 2:45 a.m., the JMA downgraded the tsunami warnings to advisories. By 6:20 a.m., all advisories for Pacific facing coastal regions had been lifted as wave activity stabilized.
Concerns rose briefly at a nuclear waste reprocessing facility in Rokkasho Village, Aomori Prefecture, where Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited reported that more than one hundred liters of water had spilled from a spent fuel pool due to seismic shaking. The company said the water remained contained within the building, cooling systems were functioning normally and radiation monitoring showed no abnormal readings. Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority later confirmed that no irregularities were detected at other nuclear plants in the affected region.
In Fukushima, the Tokyo Electric Power Company reported that inspections at both the Daiichi and Daini nuclear power stations found no quake related abnormalities. As a precaution, workers at shoreline facilities were evacuated and the discharge of treated radioactive water from Fukushima Daiichi was suspended late Monday night.
Authorities remain cautious as aftershocks continue. At 2 a.m. Tuesday, the JMA issued an advisory warning that the probability of a larger earthquake occurring off the coasts of Hokkaido and the Sanriku region was higher than usual. Officials urged residents to stay alert, follow evacuation orders if needed and maintain disaster readiness. The agency also noted that additional strong earthquakes could occur in the coming days.
