7.6-magnitude earthquake strikes Japan, triggering a tsunami warning
M 7.6 – 73 km ENE of Misawa, Japan, Date 2025-12-08 Time 19:45:11
A powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck off the northern coast of Japan on December 8, 2025, prompting tsunami warnings for several northeastern coastal prefectures including Aomori, Iwate, and Hokkaido. The Japan Meteorological Agency warned that tsunami waves up to 10 feet (3 meters) could hit these coastal areas, advising residents to evacuate to safer, higher ground immediately. The earthquake’s epicenter was about 50 miles offshore near Aomori Prefecture at a depth of approximately 30 to 33 miles (50 kilometers), and it registered an intensity of upper-6 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale.
The tsunami warning extended to Aomori, Iwate, and Hokkaido prefectures, while a tsunami advisory was issued for Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures. Authorities halted some train services in northeastern Japan as a precaution, and safety checks were initiated at nuclear power plants in the affected region. The government set up a crisis management office in response to the earthquake to monitor the situation and coordinate emergency responses.
Initial reports indicated few shaking effects on land, but the US Geological Survey estimated a 30% chance of casualties and potential structural damages ranging in millions of dollars. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center confirmed no tsunami threat to regions beyond Japan such as American Samoa, Hawaii, or the U.S. west coast, focusing the emergency measures strictly within Japan’s coastal areas.
The epicenter was approximately 80 km (50 miles) offshore at a depth of about 53 km (33 miles), causing strong shaking felt as far as Tokyo, with maximum intensity of upper 6 on Japan’s Shindo scale in Hachinohe. Tsunamis up to 70 cm (28 inches) were observed at ports like Mutsu Ogawara and Urakawa, prompting evacuations in prefectures including Aomori, Iwate, and Hokkaido.
At least 20-23 people were injured, mainly at a hotel in Hachinohe, with reports of fires, power outages, and disruptions to trains and expressways in affected areas. Nuclear facilities underwent safety checks with no issues reported, and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi activated an emergency task force. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center noted potential hazardous waves up to 1,000 km away, affecting Japan and Russia coasts.
Japan’s location on the Ring of Fire makes such events common, though this quake caused less widespread devastation than the 2011 magnitude 9.0 event.
