7.5-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Off Northeastern Japan, Triggering Tsunami Warnings

A strong 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of northeastern Japan late Monday, December 8, 2025, prompting tsunami warnings and evacuation orders for approximately 90,000 residents in affected areas.

The quake hit at 11:15 p.m. local time (1415 GMT), with its epicenter located 80 km (50 miles) off the coast of Aomori Prefecture at a depth of 54 km, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

The JMA initially warned that tsunamis up to 3 meters (10 feet) high could reach the northeastern coast, issuing full tsunami warnings for Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate prefectures. Observed waves ranged from 20 to 70 cm (7 to 27 inches) at several ports, with a 40 cm tsunami recorded in Urakawa (Hokkaido) and Mutsu Ogawara (Aomori).

By early Tuesday, the warnings were downgraded to tsunami advisories as the immediate threat subsided, though residents were urged to remain cautious.

On Japan’s seismic intensity scale of 1–7, the quake registered an “upper 6” in Hachinohe city, Aomori Prefecture — strong enough to make standing difficult without crawling, topple most heavy furniture, and cause widespread damage to walls, tiles, and windows.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed seven injuries had been reported as of early Tuesday and said the government had established an emergency task force. “We are putting people’s lives first and doing everything we can,” she told reporters.

Several people were injured at a hotel in Hachinohe and taken to hospital, though all were conscious, according to local reports and public broadcaster NHK. Initial reports of power outages affecting thousands of households were later revised downward to several hundred.

Train services were suspended in the region by East Japan Railway, and authorities advised residents across a wide area from Hokkaido to Chiba Prefecture (east of Tokyo) to prepare for possible strong aftershocks over the next week.

No abnormalities were reported at nuclear power plants in the region operated by Tohoku Electric Power and Hokkaido Electric Power.

The earthquake struck in an area still remembered for the devastating 9.0-magnitude quake and tsunami of March 2011, heightening public alertness. JMA officials warned that powerful aftershocks could continue for several days.