A earthquake of magnitude 7.6 shook the north of Japanfor which the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) declared an alert for tsunami of up to 3 meters, urging the evacuation of more than 23,000 people. The earthquake occurred at 11:15 p.m. local time (2:15 p.m. GMT) off the coast of the Aomori Prefecture, in the northeast of the archipelago, with epicenter 50 kilometers deep, according to meteorological authorities.
He earthquake reached in the city of Hachinohe the upper level 6 on the 7-level Japanese seismic stake, focused on measuring above-ground shaking and destructive potential, as well as the lower level 6 in the towns of Hear and Hashikami.
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As reported by the public broadcaster NHK without providing details, several people were injured in a hotel in Hachinohe.
He earthquake was noticed in a good part of the territory, from the north to the center and east of the country, including Tokyowhere it reached level 2 on the national seismic scale.
An earthquake map distributed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) shows the location of a magnitude 7.6 earthquake that struck northern Japan on December 8, 2025 | Image: EFE/EPA/USGS
The JMA activated a tsunami warning of up to 3 meters in height for the coasts of the prefecture of Aomorithe neighbor Iwate and the southern tip of the island of Hokkaidothe northernmost of the archipelago, which is expected to arrive after midnight local time.
The tsunami warning of up to one meter was also activated for the prefectures of Miyagi and Fukushimaas well as for the southern coasts of Hokkaido, and a minor alert for possible changes in the tide level on the entire Pacific coast of the territory, where authorities urged people to move away from the coast.
Around 23,000 people in the prefectures of Hokkaido, Iwate and Miyagi They were urged to evacuate to shelters due to the risks of the tsunami, according to initial data from the authorities.
The Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi formed a special team to monitor the situation and instructed the relevant entities to “immediately provide adequate information to the people and take measures to prevent damage,” according to statements to the press upon arrival at Kantei, the government headquarters in Tokyo.
“The Government cooperates closely with local authorities to take appropriate disaster measures, prioritizing people’s lives,” the president said in comments broadcast live on NHK.
The Tohoku Electric Power company, operator of the two nuclear power plants located in the area where the earthquake hit hardest, Higashidori and Onagawa, is reviewing the situation at the plants.where at the moment no anomalies have been reported, said government spokesman Minoru Kihara.
The first major earthquake had successive aftershocks, including one of magnitude 5.6, two of 3.6 and one of 3.9 within the next hour.
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