Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) has issued a tsunami warning after a powerful earthquake off the east coast of Aomori Prefecture on the night of December 8, 2025. The earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.6, struck at 11:15 PM local time, prompting authorities to urge residents in coastal areas to evacuate to higher ground.
The epicenter of the earthquake was located approximately 50 kilometers beneath the sea, off the coast of Aomori, part of Japan’s main island of Honshu. The JMA warned that the region may experience tsunami waves, with a current warning of waves up to 3 meters high.
In a statement, the JMA emphasized that residents should not leave designated safe zones until the alert is officially lifted. “Tsunamis will strike repeatedly”, the agency advised, urging caution as waves began to hit parts of Aomori and Hokkaido. Reports indicated that tsunami waves of around 40 centimeters had already been recorded in some areas, while waves of up to 50 centimeters were observed in Iwate Prefecture.
Although these initial waves were relatively small, the JMA has cautioned that larger waves could still be expected along Japan’s northeastern coastline. Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely.
This tsunami warning followed seismic activity recorded earlier by the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) in India. The NCS reported two major earthquakes in the North Pacific Ocean, both of which were close to Japan’s northeastern coastline, a region known for its frequent seismic activity.
The first earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.5, struck at 7:45 PM IST, at a depth of 60 kilometers, followed by a second tremor measuring 6.0 in magnitude just 18 minutes later, at 8:03 PM IST. Both earthquakes were located near the coordinates 41.05N, 142.37E and 40.88N, 142.88E, respectively.
Japan remains on high alert as authorities assess the potential risks of aftershocks and further tsunami waves.
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