Overview
- The Japan Meteorological Agency upgraded the quake to magnitude 7.2 after it struck off the Pacific coast of Iwate, while the U.S. Geological Survey reported magnitude 6.9 and the JMA placed the focus about 44–50 kilometers deep on Thursday.
- Long‑period ground motion carried shaking from Hokkaido to Kanagawa, causing prolonged sway in high‑rise buildings and perceptible tremors in Tokyo and other distant cities.
- Emergency authorities reported eight injuries in Aomori and Iwate and East Japan Railway Co. temporarily halted some bullet and local train services to conduct safety inspections.
- Government checks and plant operators found no abnormalities at nuclear facilities including Fukushima Daiichi, and the JMA did not issue a tsunami advisory because the quake did not meet criteria for seafloor‑deformation warnings.
- Experts say this event continues a cluster of M7‑class quakes that began in late 2025 and they warn aftershocks may continue, so residents should expect further shaking and officials will keep monitoring seismic and seafloor activity closely.