Japan has lifted all tsunami warnings and advisories issued after Monday's powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake, with the highest tsunami waves recorded at around 80cm in Iwate prefecture on the east coast. Authorities warned that the risk of another, even more powerful earthquake would remain for up to a week, with the likelihood of a magnitude 8.0 or higher megaquake 'higher than during normal times'.
Monday's tremor struck at 4.53pm local time off the northeastern coast of Japan's Sanriku region, with an epicentre in the Pacific Ocean measured at a depth of around 20km. It prompted the Japanese Meteorological Agency to issue tsunami warnings, the second-highest alert, along swathes of the coast, meaning waves of between one and three metres were originally expected. Warnings were later downgraded to advisories and lifted by midnight.
No deaths or major damage were reported, but 100 homes were left without power, according to government spokesperson Minoru Kihara. More than 170,000 people were advised to evacuate across several prefectures, though those orders have since been lifted. Local media reported a number of minor injuries during evacuations, including an elderly woman in her 80s who likely fractured her arm and an octogenarian man who broke his leg.
Bullet train services were halted for several hours before resuming later in the evening, and some motorways were closed due to the tremors, which were felt as far away as Tokyo. The government has recommended people have a go-bag ready and check their preparations amid the heightened risk of a megaquake. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the chances of a larger earthquake of magnitude 8 or greater were 10 times higher than usual, at around one per cent.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the government had set up an emergency taskforce and urged citizens in affected areas to heed evacuation orders. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported no abnormalities at Japan's nuclear facilities following the earthquake. Japan is situated within the 'Ring of Fire' and is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, with tremors recorded at least every five minutes.
