Japan earthquake today: 33 injured in powerful quake, alert issued for possible ‘megaquake’ | Highlights
- Japan earthquake today highlights: At least 33 people were injured after a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake on Monday. The quake was followed by a series of smaller tremors. Japan's Meteorological Agency has issued an alert for a potential 'megaquake'.
Japan earthquake today highlights: At least 33 people were injured after a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake on Monday. The quake was followed by a series of smaller tremors. Japan's Meteorological Agency has issued an alert for a potential 'megaquake'....Read More
About 30 people were injured and 90,000 residents had to leave their homes.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said a tsunami as high as 3 metres (10 feet) could reach the country's northeastern shoreline. By early Tuesday, the JMA reduced the warnings to advisories and later removed all advisories.
Japan earthquake: Key points
- Officials at Japan's Meteorological Agency have issued a warning for a possible ‘megaquake’ after Monday's quake.
- The meteorological agency said the quake measured 7.5, after initially reporting it as 7.6. It issued an alert saying some places could see tsunami waves up to 3 metres (10 feet).
- Authorities later changed the tsunami warning to an advisory before lifting it.
- The centre of the quake was 80 km (50 miles) off the Aomori prefecture coast at a depth of 54 km.
- The US Geological Survey said another earthquake of magnitude 5.1 was recorded early Tuesday about 122 kilometres (76 miles) south of Honcho at a depth of 35 kilometres.
- Japan’s fire and disaster management agency said earlier that at least 23 people were injured. Public broadcaster NHK said most of the injuries happened when objects fell, and also said several people were injured in a hotel in Hachinohe.
- About 480 people were staying inside the Hachinohe Air Base, and 18 defence helicopters were sent out to check the extent of the damage, defence minister Shinjiro Koizumi said.
- Local media reported that around 200 passengers were stranded at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido overnight.
- Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that the government formed an emergency team to quickly evaluate the extent of the damage. Later, she asked people in the region to follow the latest updates from local offices.
- PM Takaichi also said in a briefing to reporters on Tuesday morning that about 30 people had been reported injured.
- This earthquake hit north of the area that faced the magnitude 9.0 quake and tsunami in 2011 that killed nearly 20,000 people and destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
- Shortly after Monday’s earthquake, Tohoku Electric Power said in a post on X that the safety systems at its Higashidori nuclear power plant in Aomori and its Onagawa plant in the Miyagi region had not shown any abnormalities.
- Earthquakes are very difficult to predict, but in January a government panel slightly raised the chance of a large quake in the Nankai Trough off Japan in the coming 30 years to 75 to 82 percent.
- The government later issued a new projection in March saying that a "megaquake" and the tsunami that followed could lead to as many as 298,000 deaths and cause up to 2 trillion dollars in damage.
- Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone nations in the world. A tremor happens at least every five minutes. It sits in the ‘Ring of Fire’ of volcanoes and deep ocean trenches around the Pacific Basin and has about 20% of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or higher.
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- 9 Dec 2025, 10:40:20 AM IST
Japan earthquake today: 33 injured, Japan stays on alert | Highlights
Updates to this live blog have been closed. Here's a look at some of the key developments -
A powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck Japan on late Monday night.
Japan Meteorological Agency said a tsunami as high as 3 metres (10 feet) could reach the country's northeastern shoreline. By early Tuesday, the JMA reduced the warnings to advisories and later removed all advisories.
PM Takaichi said in a briefing to reporters on Tuesday morning that about 30 people had been reported injured. The number since has climbed upto 33.
Furthermore, the government had issued a new projection in March saying that a "megaquake" and the tsunami that followed could lead to as many as 298,000 deaths and cause up to 2 trillion dollars in damage. Following Monday's earthquake, authorities have heightened the alert for this potential “megaquake”.
- 9 Dec 2025, 10:26:06 AM IST
Japan earthquake today live updates: What did the now-lifted tsunami warning say?
Japan earthquake today live updates: A tsunami of up to 70 centimeters (2 feet, 4 inches) was measured in Kuji port in Iwate prefecture, just south of Aomori, and waves up to 50 centimeters struck other communities in the region, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. NHK reported the waves damaged some oyster rafts.
The agency lifted all tsunami advisories by 6:30 a.m. Tuesday.
- 9 Dec 2025, 10:06:25 AM IST
Japan earthquake today live updates: 200 passengers were stranded at Hokkaido airport
Japan earthquake today live updates: About 200 passengers were stranded for the night at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, NHK reported. Part of a domestic terminal building was unusable Tuesday after parts of its ceiling cracked and fell to the floor, AP reported citing the airport operator.
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- 9 Dec 2025, 09:45:14 AM IST
Japan earthquake today live updates: Japan assesses damage after late-night 7.5 magnitude earthquake
Japan earthquake today live updates: Japan is assessing damage and cautioning people of potential aftershocks after a late-night 7.5 magnitude earthquake caused injuries, light damage and a tsunami in Pacific coastal communities.
At a parliamentary session Tuesday, Takaichi pledged the government would continue its utmost effort and reminded people they have to protect their own lives.
- 9 Dec 2025, 09:28:58 AM IST
Japan earthquake today live updates: 33 injured in latest Japan quake
Japan earthquake today live updates: At least 33 people were injured, one seriously, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said. Most of them were hit by falling objects, public broadcaster NHK reported.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters an emergency task force was formed to urgently assess damage. “We are putting people’s lives first and doing everything we can,” she said.
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- 9 Dec 2025, 09:13:07 AM IST
Japan earthquake today live updates: At least 30 injured in powerful earthquake
Japan earthquake today live updates: A big quake off northern Japan left at least 30 injured, authorities said Tuesday, damaging roads and leaving thousands without power.
Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said 30 people were injured in the quake off the coast of the Aamori region, which triggered tsunami waves up to 70 centimetres (28 inches) high.
- 9 Dec 2025, 09:03:02 AM IST
Japan earthquake today live updates: Will powerful ‘megaquake’ hit Japan?
Japan earthquake today live updates: A day after a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck northern Japan officials on Tuesday have issued an alert for a potential megaquake in the area as per a report by NHK Japan.
The officials at Japan's Meteorological Agency have issued an alert for a potential mega quake following December 8's earthquake.
As per NHK Japan, a mega quake could trigger tsunami along Japan's Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Chiba Prefecture.
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- 9 Dec 2025, 08:51:33 AM IST
Japan earthquake today live updates: Where did the earthquake hit in Japan?
Japan earthquake today live updates: The earthquake hit near Japan’s Aomori prefecture at around 11:15 p.m. local time with a magnitude of 7.5 and depth of 50 km, according to the country’s weather agency.
Shaking intensity reached upper 6 on a scale of 7 in the worst-affected areas, and the tremor was felt in some parts of Tokyo, more than 550 km (340 miles) away.
- 9 Dec 2025, 08:43:35 AM IST
Japan earthquake today live updates: Magnitude 6.5 earthquake rocks Pacific Ocean
Japan earthquake today live updates: An earthquake of 6.5 magnitude struck the North Pacific Ocean, a statement by the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said. It took place at a depth of 80 km.
In a post on X, the NCS said, "EQ of M: 6.5, On: 09/12/2025 03:22:48 IST, Lat: 41.13 N, Long: 143.09 E, Depth: 80 Km, Location: North Pacific Ocean."
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- 9 Dec 2025, 08:37:49 AM IST
Japan earthquake today live updates: Why Japan issues ‘megaquake’ alerts after powerful earthquakes
Japan earthquake today live updates: The northeastern region suffered one of the country's deadliest earthquakes on March 11, 2011, when a 9.0-magnitude tremor struck under the ocean off the coast of the northern city of Sendai. It was the most powerful ever recorded in Japan and set off a series of massive tsunami that devastated a wide swathe of the Pacific coastline and killed nearly 20,000 people.
Drawing on lessons from that disaster, when a magnitude 7-level earthquake had struck two days beforehand, the government now issues a one-week "megaquake" advisory whenever a powerful earthquake occurs in the region.
- 9 Dec 2025, 08:24:39 AM IST
Japan earthquake today live updates: Another earthquake in Japan hours after deadly quake?
Japan earthquake today live updates: The US Geological Survey reported another earthquake, with a magnitude 5.1, early on Tuesday, about 122 kilometers (76 miles) south of Honcho, at a depth of 35 kilometers.
The quake was followed by a series of smaller tremors in the same area and the Japan Meteorological Agency will keep an alert for further quakes in the Hokkaido-Sanriku offshore region in place until December 16.
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- 9 Dec 2025, 08:17:42 AM IST
Japan earthquake today live updates: Japan braces for more damages after powerful earthquake
Japan earthquake today live updates: The Japanese government formed a task force at the crisis management centre in the prime minister's office at 11:16 p, on Monday after the earthquake.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told officials to quickly share any details on possible tsunami and evacuation orders in a proper way, ensure strong steps to protect people, including moving residents to safety, and understand the scale of the damage as soon as possible.
- 9 Dec 2025, 08:09:48 AM IST
Japan earthquake today live updates: ‘Reminded me of 2011 disaster’, says eyewitness about quake
Japan earthquake today live updates: Daiki Shimohata, 33, a civil servant in Hashikami in the Aomori region on Honshu island, told AFP that he and his family rushed outside their home.
"The tremor was something that we've never experienced. It lasted maybe for about 20 seconds," Shimohata said by phone.
"We were holding our children -- a two-year-old girl and a one-year-old boy -- in our arms. The shaking reminded me of the disaster (in 2011)," he said.
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- 9 Dec 2025, 07:55:19 AM IST
Japan earthquake live updates: Japan earthquake was ‘upper 6’ in seismic intensity, what does it mean?
Japan earthquake live updates: On Japan's 1-7 scale of seismic intensity, the tremor registered as an "upper 6" in Hachinohe city, Aomori prefecture. This is a quake strong enough to make it impossible to keep standing or move without crawling.
In such tremors, most heavy furniture can collapse and wall tiles and windowpanes are damaged in many buildings.
- 9 Dec 2025, 07:48:04 AM IST
Japan earthquake live updates: Water leak from nuclear reprocessing plant in Japan after earthquake
Japan earthquake live updates: Nuclear power stations in the area were carrying out safety checks, Japan's chief cabinet secretary Minoru Kihara said.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority said that about 450 litres of water had leaked from the spent fuel cooling section at the Rokkasho fuel reprocessing plant in Aomori. It said the water level was still within the usual limit and there was no risk to safety.
Around 480 people were staying at the Hachinohe Air Base. Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said 18 defence helicopters had been sent out to survey the damage.
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- 9 Dec 2025, 07:40:04 AM IST
Japan earthquake live updates: How 7.5 magnitude earthquake impacted Japan
Japan earthquake live updates: Footage showed several crevasses in roads and at least one car in a hole, with broken glass from windows scattered on roads and pavements.
Initially there were reports of several fires. Government spokesman Minoru Kihara said Tuesday that was one confirmed blaze at a house.
- 9 Dec 2025, 07:33:40 AM IST
Japan earthquake live updates: Bullet train services suspended in some areas
Japan earthquake live updates: Japan's iconic Shinkansen bullet train service was suspended in a few areas while engineers checked for any damage to the tracks after the powerful earthquake.
East Japan Railway Company said the high speed services will remain suspended between Morioka in Iwate Prefecture and Shin Aomori in the neighbouring Aomori Prefecture. It added that there will also be delays on the section between Morioka and Tokyo, including the Akita Shinkansen Line.
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- 9 Dec 2025, 07:28:38 AM IST
Japan earthquake live updates: Why is Japan so prone to earthquakes?
Japan earthquake live updates: Japan is among the countries that experience the most earthquakes in the world and has a tremor at least every five minutes.
It lies in the "Ring of Fire" where volcanoes and oceanic trenches surround much of the Pacific Basin, and about 20% of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or higher take place there.
- 9 Dec 2025, 07:24:54 AM IST
Japan earthquake live updates: ‘Megaquake’ headed to Japan?
Japan earthquake live updates: Officials at Japan's Meteorological Agency have issued a warning for a possible ‘megaquake’ after Monday's quake.
A 'megaquake' could lead to tsunami along Japan's Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Chiba Prefecture.
Notably, the Japanese government now isuses a one-week ‘megaquake’ advisory whenever a major earthquake happens in the region.
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- 9 Dec 2025, 07:17:28 AM IST
Japan earthquake live updates: Tsunami warnings lifted
Japan earthquake live updates: Japanese officials lifted all tsunami warnings after a strong 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit off the Aomori coast in the northeast late on Monday.
Waves up to 70 cm (28 inches) were seen in the area earlier, and local media said there were no reports of damage.
- 9 Dec 2025, 07:09:49 AM IST
Japan earthquake live updates: Around 30 injured in powerful Japan earthquake
Japan earthquake live updates: Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in a briefing to reporters on Tuesday morning that around 30 people had been reported injured.
"Please listen to information from the JMA or local governments for about a week and check if furniture is fixed .... and be prepared to evacuate when you feel shaking," she added.
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