Waves of up to 3 meters are expected in the country’s coastal areas; Prime Minister announces emergency task force
A 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit the northeast coast of Japan this Monday (April 20, 2026), according to information from . Authorities asked residents to stay away from coastal areas, where tsunami waves of up to 3 meters are expected.
In the hour following the earthquake, tsunami waves of up to 80 cm were detected. The biggest waves are forecast to hit Iwate and Aomori prefectures on the northern tip of Japan’s main island of Honshu and the northern island of Hokkaido, authorities said, according to the agency.
Several port cities, including Otsuchi and Kamaishi, have issued evacuation orders for thousands of residents, according to the broadcaster. NHK.
The Prime Minister of Japan, (PLD, right), used her profile on X so that the government created an emergency task force. He also asked citizens in the affected areas to evacuate to safe locations.
“We are fully committed to responses such as assessing the damage situation, emergency measures including rescue and rescue, and providing accurate and timely information to the public.”he declared.
Takaichi said he still doesn’t have details about “human and material damage”.
Bullet train services in Aomori Prefecture were halted because of the tremors, the news agency reported. Kyodo.
The earthquake reached a level “superior a 5” on Japan’s seismic intensity scale – strong enough to make it difficult for people to move around and cause unreinforced concrete block walls to collapse. The quake had its epicenter in the Pacific Ocean and occurred 10 km deep, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
