Japan began assessing widespread damage after a powerful 7.5 earthquake struck off the northern coast late Monday, December 8. The tremor injured almost 33 people and triggered a tsunami advisory across several coastal regions. It hit at 11:15 p.m. local time and shook communities throughout northern Honshu.
The quake originated in the Pacific Ocean about 80 kilometers off Aomori Prefecture. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, it registered at magnitude 7.6 and came from a depth of 44 kilometers. Soon after, a tsunami reached Kuji Port in Iwate Prefecture. Although waves peaked at only 70 centimeters, they still damaged oyster farming rafts along the shoreline.
A powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake shook northeastern Japan, prompting orders for about 90,000 residents to evacuate and tsunami warnings that hours later were downgraded to advisories https://t.co/kl2BklUpBN pic.twitter.com/mE9MCNpbuH
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 8, 2025Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi activated an emergency task force within hours. She emphasized that the government would “put people’s lives first and do everything possible” to protect affected communities. She also urged residents to stay alert because aftershocks remained likely. One aftershock reached magnitude 6.7 on Tuesday morning, December 9.
A powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck off northern Japan late Monday, injuring 23 people and triggering a tsunami in Pacific coast communities.
The quake struck at about 11:15 p.m. in the Pacific Ocean, around 80 kilometers off the coast of Aomori, the northernmost… pic.twitter.com/GpZ3TqMynl
— The Bharat Post (@TheBharatPost_) December 9, 2025As conditions evolved, several prefectures issued coastal evacuation orders. Authorities later downgraded tsunami warnings to advisories, yet they continued urging residents to remain cautious.
