&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Japan issues rare ‘megaquake’ warning after 7.7 magnitude tremor jolts country: 'Likelihood of huge earthquake occurring' high")
Japan's meteorological agency has issued a special advisory, warning of an elevated risk of a major earthquake of magnitude 8.0 or stronger. This comes after a powerful 7.7-magnitude jolt struck off the northern coast of Iwate prefecture and triggered a tsunami warning along a vast stretch of the country's northeastern Pacific coastline. The earthquake hit at 4:53 PM local time, with shaking strong enough to rattle large buildings in Tokyo, hundreds of kilometres from the epicentre.
Tsunami hits Japan
Approximately 40 minutes after the initial quake, an 80-centimetre tsunami wave reached a port in Kuji, in Iwate. Warnings for waves of up to one metre were later downgraded to advisories across Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate and Fukushima prefectures before being lifted altogether around midnight.
More than 182,000 residents in the affected region were issued non-compulsory evacuation directives. As of Monday evening, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said there were no immediate reports of serious injuries or significant structural damage, and footage from national broadcaster NHK showed no clearly visible damage at several ports in Iwate.
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A megaquake coming?
Japan's meteorological agency, in its advisory, warned that there was an elevated risk of a subsequent major earthquake. "Although the probability is low, there is a possibility of another major earthquake occurring," the agency said, urging residents to review their emergency preparedness. Officials warned that aftershocks could continue for the coming week, potentially "causing even stronger shaking" over the next two to three days.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged residents in warning zones to move to higher ground. "For those of you who live in areas for which the warnings have been issued, please evacuate to higher, safer places," said PM Takaichi. The prime minister's office activated a crisis management team to assess casualties and property damage.
Why is this warning considered rare?
Monday's advisory is only the third of its kind Japan has issued. The first came in 2024, triggered by concerns about the Nankai Trough, an 800-kilometre undersea trench where the Philippine Sea tectonic plate is slowly slipping beneath the continental plate that forms the foundation of the Japanese archipelago. A second advisory followed in December 2025 after a magnitude-7.5 tremor struck off the northern coast, injuring more than 40 people.
