Japan: 6.7 Magnitude Earthquake Hits North of the Country, Tsunami Warning Issued

A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck off the northern coast of Japan on Friday, as reported by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), just days after a 7.5 magnitude quake in the same area that left at least 50 people injured.

The JMA revised its initial estimate of 6.5 and warned that tsunami waves could reach up to one meter along the Pacific coast to the north.

So far, two waves of 20 centimeters have been recorded; one in the city of Erimo on Hokkaido Island at 12:35 local time (03:35 GMT), and another three minutes later in Aomori Prefecture.

Public broadcaster NHK noted that no significant changes in water levels were observed in the two ports.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which also assessed the quake at a magnitude of 6.7, reported that it occurred 130 kilometers off Kuji in Iwate Prefecture on Honshu Island.

NHK clarified that the intensity of this quake was less than that of Monday night's earthquake, which caused items to fall from shelves, damaged roads, shattered windows, and generated tsunami waves of up to 70 centimeters.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority stated that no anomalies were detected at nuclear facilities in the region.

Following Monday's quake, the JMA issued a rare warning of the possibility of another earthquake of equal or greater magnitude within the next seven days.

The alert pertains to the Sanriku area—northeastern Honshu—as well as northern Hokkaido.

The region is still traumatized by the 9.0 magnitude earthquake in March 2011, which triggered a tsunami resulting in approximately 18,500 deaths or disappearances.

In August 2024, the JMA issued its first special warning, this time for the southern part of Japan's Pacific coast, due to the potential for a major quake along the Nankai Trough offshore.

This 800-kilometer underwater trench is where the Philippine Sea plate is slowly subducting beneath the continental plate on which Japan rests.

The government estimates that a powerful earthquake in the Nankai Trough, followed by a tsunami, could kill up to 298,000 people and cause up to $2 trillion in damages.

Last year's warning was lifted a week later but led to massive purchases of staples like rice and prompted vacationers to cancel their bookings.

Japan sits at the junction of four major tectonic plates on the western edge of the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and is one of the most seismically active countries in the world.

The archipelago, home to approximately 125 million people, experiences around 1,500 quakes each year. The vast majority are minor, although the damage varies depending on their location and depth.