Overview
- A powerful offshore earthquake, which the JMA measured at magnitude 7.5, struck off Iwate on Monday at 4:53 pm local time and set off tsunami warnings for parts of Iwate, Aomori and Hokkaido.
- Small tsunami waves followed, including about 80 cm at Kuji and 40 cm at Miyako, as broadcasters urged people on the coast to move to higher ground and stay there until alerts lift.
- Japan's government set up an emergency task force and authorities issued evacuation orders for about 171,957 people across five prefectures, according to the disaster management agency.
- Rail operators suspended the Tohoku Shinkansen and several local lines, utilities reported roughly 200 power outages, and nuclear plant operators said checks had found no abnormalities so far.
- The quake's shallow depth of about 10 km and shaking rated “upper 5” on Japan’s intensity scale left buildings swaying as far as Tokyo, and the JMA said damage assessments are ongoing.