6.7-Magnitude Quake Strikes Northern Japan; Tsunami Advisory Issued Days After 7.5 Tremor

A 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck northern Japan on Friday, just days after a powerful 7.5-magnitude quake in the same region injured at least 50 people, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The agency also warned that tsunami waves up to one metre (3 feet) could hit the northern Pacific coastline.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed the magnitude at 6.7, locating the epicentre about 130 km (81 miles) from Kuji city in Iwate prefecture on Honshu.

Tsunami Advisory in Effect
A tsunami advisory — one level below a formal tsunami warning — was issued, urging residents to stay away from the coast, though evacuation was not required. According to JMA, waves of up to one metre are possible in the affected areas.

NHK reported that Friday’s tremor produced weaker shaking than Monday night’s quake, which damaged roads, shattered windows, toppled items from shelves, and generated tsunami waves up to 70 cm. The latest quake registered a 4 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale of 1 to 7.

Friday’s event follows a 7.5-magnitude offshore earthquake earlier in the week near Aomori, Japan’s northernmost prefecture on Honshu, which caused minor damage and prompted a temporary tsunami warning.

Following Monday’s quake, authorities issued a special advisory urging residents from Hokkaido to Chiba to remain alert for the possibility of another major earthquake within a week.

Why Japan Is Prone to Powerful Quakes
Japan sits atop four major tectonic plates along the seismically active Pacific “Ring of Fire,” making it one of the world’s most earthquake-prone nations. The country records about 1,500 tremors every year — most of them mild, though their impact varies based on location and depth.