Powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake strikes northeastern Japan
- Doyoung Lim
- Jan 3
- 1 min read
Jan 3, 2026
Doyoung Lim
A powerful earthquake shook northeastern Japan on Monday, prompting Tsunami warnings and orders for about 90,000 residents to evacuate. A tsunami as high as 3 meters (10 feet) could hit Japan’s northeastern coast after the earthquake at 11:15 pm. Those warnings were issued for the areas of Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate, and tsunamis from 20 to 70m were reported at several regions.
According to the world’s earthquake scale, earthquakes with upper levels 6 are strong enough to make it impossible to keep standing or move without crawling. Also, most heavy furniture can collapse despite being in a fixed position, and wall tiles and windowpanes are damaged in many buildings. So far, about 30 dwellings have been damaged, and 1 house has been burned.
Besides eastern Japan, major cities like Tokyo and Osaka have experienced earthquakes with a magnitude of 3.0. East Japan Railway suspended some services in several areas. According to a JMA official at a briefing, there is a possibility that a further powerful earthquake could occur over the next several days. Other than the Hokkaido region, such as Tokyo and Osaka, are calling on residents to be on alert for the possibility of a powerful earthquake hitting again in a week.
