7.6-Magnitude Quake Jolts Japan, Triggers 40 cm Tsunami on Northern Coast

A powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck Japan on Monday evening, triggering a 40-centimetre tsunami along parts of the northern coastline, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. Waves were observed in Hokkaido’s Urakawa town and at the port of Mutsu Ogawara in Aomori prefecture.

The quake, recorded at a depth of 53.1 km at 14:15 UTC, was centred 73 km east-northeast of Misawa in northern Japan, according to the US Geological Survey. It hit off the coasts of Aomori and Hokkaido, prompting JMA to issue tsunami warnings for Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate amid fears waves could reach up to three metres.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said an emergency task force has been activated to assess damage. “We are putting people’s lives first and doing everything we can,” she told reporters. Public broadcaster NHK reported several injuries at a hotel in Hachinohe, Aomori.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre cautioned that hazardous waves could be generated within 1,000 km of the epicentre along the coastlines of Japan and Russia. East Japan Railway suspended some train services in the affected region as a precaution.

Japan, located on the seismically active Pacific “Ring of Fire,” experiences about 20% of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or greater. The country has faced several strong quakes this year, including a 5.5-magnitude tremor in southwestern Japan in July.

The region has also seen major seismic activity recently, including an 8.8-magnitude earthquake in Russia’s Kamchatka in July that triggered tsunamis across neighbouring areas. Japan’s most devastating recent quake occurred in 2011, when a 9.1-magnitude megathrust earthquake unleashed a massive tsunami, causing widespread destruction.