A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.5 struck off Japan’s northeastern coast on Monday, prompting tsunami warnings and disrupting transport services, with authorities urging residents to move away from coastal areas.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the quake struck at a depth of 10 km in the Pacific Ocean. It also said that a tsunami of about 80 centimetres (2.6 feet) was detected at the Kuji port in Iwate prefecture and a smaller tsunami of 40 centimetres (1.3 feet) was recorded at another port in the prefecture.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced the formation of an emergency task force and issued evacuation orders to citizens in the affected areas. "Possible damage and casualties are now being looked into," Takaichi told reporters at her offices in Tokyo.
Ships flee after massive 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit offshore at a depth of 10 km, with a tsunami warning of 3m for Iwate and Hokkaido.
Several port towns, including Otsuchi and Kamaishi issued evacuation orders for thousands of residents, according to public broadcaster NHK.
The quake measured an 'upper 5' on Japan's seismic intensity scale – strong enough to make it difficult for people to move around and cause unreinforced concrete-block walls to collapse.
Footage aired on NHK showed ships sailing out of Hachinohe port in Hokkaido in anticipation of the waves as a 'Tsunami! Evacuate!' alert flashed across the screen. A 3-metre tsunami could cause damage to low-lying areas, flooding buildings, and anybody exposed would be caught in its currents, according to JMA.
Authorities warned residents to stay away from coastal zones as waves were expected to reach shore.
More Footage: A M7.4 earthquake struck off Hachinohe, Japan, triggering a tsunami alert. The first wave is expected at 08:34 UTC on Apr 20. # #sismo https://t.co/iv9evIsyPH pic.twitter.com/bJBxHcmztg— GeoTechWar (@geotechwar) April 20, 2026
SCENE: Strong earthquake off #Japan's northeastern coast felt in #Tokyo https://t.co/TTJ9rRuJG1 pic.twitter.com/iNnAOuKzGJ— ShanghaiEyeofficial (@ShanghaiEye) April 20, 2026
Bullet train operations between Tokyo and Aomori were halted following the tremor, Kyodo news agency reported. The quake registered an “upper 5” on Japan’s seismic intensity scale -- strong enough to make movement difficult and capable of causing structural damage, including the collapse of weak concrete walls.
Power utilities said they were assessing the impact of the quake. Tokyo Electric Power Company and Tohoku Electric Power said checks were underway at their facilities.
While there are no operational nuclear power plants in Hokkaido and the Tohoku region, Tohoku Electric said it was inspecting the Onagawa nuclear power plant, which is currently shut down, for any impact from the quake and possible tsunami.
Japan is among the most earthquake-prone countries in the world, located along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”.It accounts for about 20% of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or more, such as the 2011 disaster that caused nuclear meltdowns at a Fukushima power plant.
Authorities continued to monitor the situation, with further updates expected as assessments of damage and tsunami impact progress.
