Powerful 6.7 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Northern Japan Following Recent Seismic Activity

Home to nearly 125 million people, Japan experiences around 1,500 jolts every year.

A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 struck off the coast of northern Japan on Friday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). This event occurred just days after a larger 7.5 magnitude tremor shook the region and injured at least 50 people.

The JMA initially warned that tsunami waves of up to one meter (three feet) could impact the northern Pacific coastline. However, the actual waves reached only 20 centimeters on Hokkaido island and in the Aomori region, leading authorities to eventually lift the tsunami advisory.

National broadcaster NHK reported no significant changes at the ports where these waves made landfall. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed the earthquake measured 6.7 magnitude and occurred approximately 130 kilometers (81 miles) off Kuji city in Iwate prefecture on Honshu island.

NHK noted that Friday's earthquake caused less intense shaking than Monday's 7.5 magnitude tremor, which had damaged roads, broken windows, knocked items off shelves, and generated tsunami waves up to 70 centimeters high.

Following Monday's quake, authorities issued an evacuation order on Thursday for residents living near a damaged 70-meter-high steel tower in Aomori due to collapse risks. The Nuclear Regulation Authority reported no immediate abnormalities at nuclear facilities in the affected region after Friday's event.

The JMA had issued a rare special advisory after Monday's earthquake, warning that another tremor of similar or greater magnitude could occur within a week. This advisory covered the Sanriku area on northeastern Honshu and parts of Hokkaido facing the Pacific Ocean.

This region continues to be haunted by memories of the devastating 9.0-magnitude undersea earthquake in 2011, which triggered a tsunami that claimed approximately 18,500 lives.

In August 2024, the JMA issued its first special advisory for southern Japan's Pacific coast, warning of a possible "megaquake" along the Nankai Trough. This 800-kilometer undersea trench marks where the Philippine Sea oceanic tectonic plate is "subducting" beneath the continental plate supporting Japan.

Government estimates suggest a major earthquake in the Nankai Trough and subsequent tsunami could result in as many as 298,000 fatalities and damages reaching up to $2 trillion. Although the JMA lifted last year's advisory after a week, it had already triggered panic buying of staple foods and numerous holiday cancellations.

Japan's position atop four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific "Ring of Fire" makes it one of the world's most seismically active countries. The Japanese archipelago experiences approximately 1,500 earthquakes annually, with most being mild, though their impact varies depending on location and depth below the Earth's surface.