A massive earthquake of 7.6-magnitude jolted Japan on Monday, prompting authorities to issue a tsunami alert. The Japan Meteorological Agency warned that tsunami waves of up to ten feet in height could follow.
The quake occurred at 7:45:09 PM (local time) on December 8, 2025, as per preliminary data. With its origination at a depth of 32 miles, the epicentre of the quake was located at 80 km off the coast of Aomori prefecture, as per Japan's meteorological agency.
Nuclear power plants in the region were conducting safety checks, public broadcaster NHK reported.
Tsunami warning
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued the tsunami warning for the prefectures of Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate, after the quake jolted a large part of Japan's north and east at 11:15 p.m. (1415 GMT).
Japan follows a three-tier system for tsunami warnings:
Major tsunami warning: A tsunami is expected to be greater than three metres with coastal areas needing to be immediately evacuated. Widespread damage to buildings near water is expected.
Tsunami warning: A tsunami of up to three metres is expected, with damage expected to low-lying buildings and an evacuation ordered.
Tsunami advisory: A tsunami of up to one metre is expected. This is a threat to those in the water and people are told to get out of the seas immediately.
Multiple social media posts on Monday showed ceiling lights swaying as the high-magnitude tremor rattled Japan.
Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) in a statement warned that hazardous tsunami waves from the earthquake are possible within 1,000 km of the epicenter along the coasts of Japan and Russia.
Many people online said the tremors felt from the powerful earthquake lasted for more than a minute. Another social media user shared a video capturing tsunami warnings blaring from public speakers, urging residents to immediately evacuate to higher ground.
As per a Reuters report, East Japan Railway suspended some train services in the area.
How prone is Japan to earthquakes?
Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, with a tremor occurring at least every five minutes. Located in the "Ring of Fire" arc of volcanoes and oceanic trenches partly encircling the Pacific Basin, the country accounts for about 20% of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or greater.
