A powerful magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck off the coast of northern Japan on Monday afternoon, prompting authorities to issue a tsunami warning for waves of up to three metres (10 feet) and urging residents across the affected coastline to move immediately to higher ground.
The quake hit at 4:53pm local time (07:53 GMT), with its epicentre located in waters off Iwate prefecture on Japan's Pacific coast, according to Al Jazeera English. The tremor was felt across a vast stretch of the country, with buildings shaking as far south as Tokyo, hundreds of kilometres from the epicentre.
Evacuation Orders Issued
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) moved swiftly to warn that the first tsunami waves could reach parts of the northern coastline almost immediately after the quake. The agency issued a stark directive to those in affected areas:
"Evacuate immediately from coastal regions and riverside areas to a safer place such as high ground or an evacuation building." — Japan Meteorological Agency
The JMA also cautioned that danger would persist well beyond the initial wave, warning: "Tsunami waves are expected to hit repeatedly. Do not leave safe ground until the warning is lifted."
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed that the government had activated a crisis management team in response to the disaster and issued an urgent public appeal. "For those of you who live in areas for which the warnings have been issued, please evacuate to higher, safer places such as higher ground," she told reporters.
No Immediate Damage Confirmed
Live footage broadcast by public broadcaster NHK showed no visible signs of damage at several ports in Iwate in the immediate aftermath of the quake. Officials said they were still working to establish whether there had been any casualties or significant property damage.
A Nation Accustomed to Seismic Risk
Japan sits at one of the most seismically active points on the planet, experiencing roughly 1,500 earthquakes each year and accounting for nearly 18 percent of the world's total seismic activity. The country's most devastating recent disaster came in March 2011, when a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and resulting tsunami struck northeastern Japan, killing approximately 18,500 people and triggering the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Japan also faces a longer-term threat from the Nankai Trough, an 800-kilometre (497-mile) undersea trench to the south of the country where the Philippine Sea plate slides beneath the continental plate — a zone scientists warn could one day produce an earthquake of comparable or greater destructive force.
