Japan earthquake live: Megaquake warning issued along 800-mile coastline as PM urges public to be prepared

Following Monday’s magnitude 7.5 earthquake off the eastern coast of Aomori Prefecture, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued its first special advisory for potential follow-up earthquakes and tsunamis in the Hokkaido and Sanriku coastal areas.

According to local media outlets, the government recommends that people remain on alert for about a week.

The risk of additional quakes and tsunamis is highest immediately after the initial major quake and gradually decreases over time.

While the one-week period is not based on precise scientific data, it serves as a guideline for heightened vigilance, The Japan Times noted.

Authorities have said that there is no need to stop daily activities, but residents should double-check their usual earthquake preparations during this period.

The advisory is officially called the “Off the Coast of Hokkaido and Sanriku Subsequent Earthquake Advisory”.

The Japan Meteorological Agency says Monday’s powerful quake temporarily increased potential risks in the regions of Hokkaido and the Sanriku coast.

That’s where the Pacific Plate beneath Japan forms the two trenches — the Japan Trench and Chishima Trench — that have caused many large quakes in the past.

Experts say the deadly quake and tsunami in 2011 was caused by movement associated with the Japan Trench. It spans from off the eastern coast of Chiba to Aomori, and the Chishima Trench goes from the eastern coast of Hokkaido to the northern islands and the Kurils.

In explaining the advisory, the JMA said the magnitude 9.0 quake on 11 March 2011, that devastated large swaths of Japan’s northern coast occurred two days after a magnitude 7.3 temblor that occurred at the Japan Trench off the eastern coast of Iwate, one of the hardest-hit areas in that disaster as well as in Monday’s quake.

The 2011 quake caused a tsunami that battered northern coastal towns in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures.

The tsunami, which topped 15 meters (50 feet) in some areas, slammed into and destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. That created deep fears of radiation that linger to this day.

A general view shows the scene of a fire that broke out after an earthquake in Aomori City on Tuesday.

At least 10 people were reported injured, but there appeared to be no major damage after a big quake rocked northern Japan and triggered tsunami waves up to 70 centimetres high.

Chief cabinet secretary Minoru Kihara said about 800 homes were without electricity due to the quake.

Moreover, Shinkansen bullet trains and some local lines were suspended in parts of the region in the early hours of Tuesday. East Japan Railway said bullet trains resumed operation in the region later Tuesday.

Power was mostly restored by Tuesday morning, according to the Tohoku Electric Power Co.

About 480 residents sheltered at Hachinohe Air Base and 18 defense helicopters were mobilized for a damage assessment, according to Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.

About 200 passengers were stranded for the night at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, NHK, a Japanese broadcaster reported.

Part of a domestic terminal building was unusable Tuesday after parts of its ceiling cracked and fell to the floor, the airport operator said.

Today Japan was assessing damage following the late-night 7.5 magnitude earthquake which injured 34.

The quake also caused light damage and a tsunami in Pacific coastal communities.

Authorities have been cautioning people of potential aftershocks.

Prime minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters an emergency task force was formed to urgently assess damage. “We are putting people’s lives first and doing everything we can,” she said.

At a parliamentary session Tuesday, Takaichi pledged the government would continue its utmost effort and reminded people they have to protect their own lives.

Japan’s weather agency has issued a megaquake warning, the highest level of earthquake alert, hours after a 7.5 magnitude tremor struck the country.

Residents living near the Pacific coast have been urged by authorities to remain vigilant throughout the coming week and prepare evacuation plans in case they need to flee their homes.

At least 33 people were injured in the earthquake on Monday night, with waves reaching up to 70cm seen in several coastal communities.

But what actually is a megaquake? Read more here…

Smaller aftershocks continued today in northern and central Japan, hours after the 7.5-magnitude earthquake on Monday night.

According to the US Geological Survey, a magnitude 6.6 aftershock struck within hours of the initial earthquake, followed by another measuring magnitude 5.1.

In the less than 24 hours since the earthquake, at least 10 aftershocks of magnitude 1.5 or higher have been recorded in Japan.

Aftershocks were felt across a wide area of northern and central Japan, according to NHK Japan.

In the aftermath of the powerful late-night quake, residents across northeastern Japan recounted moments of fear as they rushed to safety in cold conditions.

Many were jolted awake by the violent shaking, including a man in his 40s from Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture.

He told Japan’s Mainichi: “I was asleep when shaking began as if I suddenly got hit from beneath. After that, shaking continued both vertically and laterally for a long time.”

In nearby Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, a 75-year-old woman preparing for bed fled to higher ground in a car driven by her daughter.

“I debated whether I should leave. I was afraid of a bear popping up, my husband needs care and we have a cat.”