A massive earthquake, initially measured at magnitude 7.6 by the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA), struck off the coast of northern Japan late Monday, triggering tsunami warnings and widespread concern. The tremor occurred at approximately 11:15 p.m. local time (1415 GMT) about 80 kilometers (50 miles) off Aomori, the northernmost prefecture of Honshu, with a hypocenter estimated 50 kilometers below the sea surface.

Following the quake, the JMA issued tsunami warnings for Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate prefectures, predicting waves of up to 3 meters (10 feet). Initial measurements recorded a 70-centimeter (27-inch) tsunami in Kuji port in Iwate, while other coastal communities experienced waves up to 50 centimeters. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara urged residents to move to higher ground or evacuation centers until the alerts were downgraded, which later occurred as advisories when risk estimates decreased.

The tremor caused injuries and property damage across the affected areas. NHK reported incidents at a hotel in Hachinohe, and a man in Tohoku suffered minor injuries after his car fell into a sinkhole. Multiple fires broke out in Aomori, and authorities advised roughly 90,000 residents to seek shelter. Vice principal Satoshi Kato described how household items shattered, complicating evacuation efforts as panicked residents faced traffic jams and accidents. East Japan Railway suspended some services in the region.

On Japan’s one-to-seven seismic intensity scale, the quake registered an “upper six” in Aomori, strong enough to make standing nearly impossible. Heavy furniture collapsed, wall tiles cracked, and windowpanes were damaged. Thousands of residents lost power, though nuclear plants operated by Tohoku Electric Power and Hokkaido Electric Power reported no abnormalities after safety inspections.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi quickly formed an emergency task force to assess damage and prioritize citizen safety. This quake struck near the same northern coast devastated by the 9.0 magnitude 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, which claimed almost 20,000 lives. Japan, situated along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” experiences frequent seismic activity, with tremors occurring roughly every five minutes, making the country highly earthquake-prone.