Japanese authorities lifted tsunami warnings on Tuesday after a powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck northeastern Japan late Monday, injuring at least 30 people and prompting the evacuation of around 90,000 residents. The quake hit off the coast at 11:15pm local time, and the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) initially warned that waves as high as 3 metres could hit the region.
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The tsunami warning covered Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate prefectures, with smaller waves between 20 and 70 centimetres recorded at several ports. By early Tuesday, the JMA downgraded the alerts to advisories and later lifted them completely. There were no reports of significant structural damage.
The Japan Meteorological Agency downgraded tsunami warnings to advisories after a powerful 7.5-magnitude quake hit the northeastern coast https://t.co/kl2BklTRMf pic.twitter.com/RhIDa3Zbyy
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 9, 2025
The earthquake’s epicentre was located 80 kilometres off Aomori prefecture at a depth of 54 kilometres. Tremors reached an “upper 6” on Japan’s 1-7 seismic intensity scale in Hachinohe city, making it nearly impossible for residents to stand or move without crawling.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed 30 injuries and one fire following the tremor. Train services in northern Japan, operated by East Japan Railway, were suspended or delayed, while nuclear plants in the region reported no irregularities. Thousands of households temporarily lost power, which was restored by Tuesday morning.
The JMA issued an advisory warning that further powerful earthquakes could occur in the coming days, urging residents to remain vigilant. Japan, located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” experiences frequent seismic activity and accounts for roughly 20 per cent of the world’s magnitude-6.0 or higher earthquakes.
Read More: Earthquake of 7.6 magnitude strikes Japan
The northeastern region was previously devastated by a 9.0-magnitude quake and tsunami in 2011, which killed nearly 20,000 people and caused the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Lessons from that catastrophe have prompted authorities to issue one-week “megaquake” advisories following significant tremors in the area.