Overview
- The Japan Meteorological Agency recorded the quake as magnitude 7.2 on Thursday morning with a depth near 44–50 km while the USGS gave an initial magnitude of 6.9, and the event produced long-period shaking felt from Kanagawa to Hokkaido.
- Officials reported eight injuries in Aomori and Iwate, temporary suspension of some bullet and local train services for safety checks, and no immediate reports of life-threatening damage.
- The JMA did not issue its 'Off the Coast of Hokkaido and Sanriku Subsequent Earthquake Advisory' and gave no tsunami advisory, while government checks found no abnormalities at nuclear facilities including Fukushima Daiichi.
- University of Tokyo seismologists said the quake occurred on a plate boundary and appears linked to a string of M7-class events since late 2025, noting that seafloor deformation in this sequence could generate tsunami risk.
- Residents should expect aftershocks and prolonged building sway from long-period motion, officials are carrying out damage assessments, and transport and local services may face further short disruptions as inspections continue.