Japan has cautioned people of potential aftershocks after a late-night 7.5 magnitude earthquake caused injuries, light damage and a tsunami in Pacific coastal communities.
The 7.5 magnitude quake struck around 11:15 p.m. in the Pacific Ocean, around 80 kilometers (50 miles) off the coast of Aomori, the northernmost prefecture of Japan’s main Honshu island.
The US Geological Survey measured the quake at 7.6 magnitude and said it occurred 44 kilometers (27 miles) below the surface.
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. The agency lifted all tsunami advisories by 6:30 a.m. local time today, Tuesday, December 9, 2025.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency disclosed that at least 33 people were injured, one seriously. According to public broadcaster reports, most of them were hit by falling objects.
The Japan Meteorological Agency cautioned about possible aftershocks in the coming days. It said that there is a slight increase in risk of a magnitude 8-level quake and possible tsunami occurring along Japan’s northeastern coast from Chiba, just east of Tokyo, to Hokkaido.
The agency urged residents in 182 municipalities in the area to monitor their emergency preparedness in the coming week, reminding them that the caution is not a prediction of a big one.
Monday’s quake occurred just north of the coastal region where the magnitude 9.0 quake and tsunami in 2011 killed nearly 20,000 people and destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. “You need to prepare, assuming that a disaster like that could happen again,” JMA official Satoshi Harada said.
Smaller aftershocks were continuing today. The US Geological Survey reported a magnitude 6.6 and later a 5.1 quake in the hours after the initial temblor.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara announced that about 800 homes were without electricity and Shinkansen bullet trains and some local lines were suspended in parts of the region in the early hours of Tuesday.
East Japan Railway said that it is aiming to resume bullet trains in the region later today. Power was mostly restored by this morning, according to the Tohoku Electric Power Co.
Additionally, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said that about 480 residents sheltered at Hachinohe Air Base and 18 defense helicopters were mobilized for a damage assessment.
About 200 passengers were stranded for the night at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido. According to the airport Operator, part of a domestic terminal building was unusable today after parts of its ceiling cracked and fell to the floor.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority said about 450 liters (118 gallons) of water spilled from a spent fuel cooling area at the Rokkasho fuel reprocessing plant in Aomori, but that its water level remained within the normal range and there was no safety concern. No abnormalities were found at other nuclear power plants and spent fuel storage facilities, the NRA said
Japan Assesses Damage From 7.5 Magnitude Quake
Japanese 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.
At a parliamentary session today, Tuesday, December 9, 2025, Takaichi pledged the government would continue its utmost effort and reminded people they have to protect their own lives.
Later, she urged residents in the region to pay attention to the latest information from local municipalities. “Please be prepared so you can immediately evacuate as soon as you feel a tremor,” she said.
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