Late Monday night (local time), a powerful earthquake registering 7.5 (initially 7.6) on the magnitude scale struck off the coast of northern Japan, near the Aomori Prefecture on Honshu Island.
The quake occurred around 11:15 p.m. local time, at a depth of about 50 km and roughly 80 km offshore from Aomori.
Authorities say at least 23–30 people were injured, mostly from falling objects as the quake shook structures and triggered panic.
In coastal areas, a tsunami wave up to around 70 cm (approx. 2 ft 4 in) was recorded, especially at ports such as Kuji Port in Iwate Prefecture — although prior warnings had feared surges up to 3 metres.
Because of the quake, many residents — reportedly about 90,000 people — were ordered to evacuate from coastal zones, and tsunami alerts were issued for multiple prefectures including coastal areas of Aomori, Iwate, and Hokkaido.
Several services were disrupted: bullet-train and rail services in impacted zones were temporarily halted, and power outages affected hundreds of homes.
Government agencies and emergency responders immediately launched damage assessments. Evacuation centers — including at least one at a local air base — were set up to shelter impacted residents
The regional safety watchdog also reported a minor spill — about 450 liters — from a spent-fuel cooling area at a reprocessing plant in the region, but confirmed there was no radiation leak or immediate risk.
This quake struck near the same general coastal region devastated in 2011 by the massive magnitude-9.0 earthquake and tsunami that caused widespread destruction, including triggering the nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
Because of that legacy, both citizens and authorities in Japan remain highly alert to quake + tsunami risks — and even a “moderate” tsunami like this one spurs immediate warnings, evacuations, and checks on nuclear and coastal infrastructure.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has cautioned that aftershocks remain likely, and there’s a “slightly increased” risk of further strong earthquakes — possibly even a “mega-quake” — along the northeastern coastline in coming days.
The government emphasized that while tsunami warnings have been downgraded, people should stay alert and ready for possible renewed evacuations.
There’s also an ongoing nationwide reminder: in quake-prone Japan, preparation and constant vigilance remain essential.