The most recent major earthquake in Japan struck off the northeastern coast, with its epicenter in the Pacific Ocean off Aomori Prefecture in the Sanriku region of northern Honshu. This offshore epicenter lies east of cities such as Hachinohe, and strong shaking and tsunami advisories affected coastal areas of Aomori, Iwate, and parts of Hokkaido.
Location details
The quake’s epicenter was located roughly 70–80 kilometers off the coast of Aomori Prefecture in the northwest Pacific, in the offshore Sanriku area that is part of Japan’s northeastern Tohoku region. The Japan Meteorological Agency reported the strongest shaking (upper 6 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale) in and around Hachinohe City in southeastern Aomori.
Areas affected
Tsunami warnings and evacuation orders were issued for coastal parts of Aomori, Iwate, and Hokkaido facing the Pacific, where waves of up to about 0.7 meters were observed at some ports. Power outages, transport disruptions, and some fires and injuries were reported mainly in Aomori and Iwate prefectures.
