A powerful earthquake hit off Japan’s northern coastline on Thursday, though the country’s meteorological agency quickly confirmed there was no risk of a tsunami following the tremor.
The Japan Meteorological Agency reported the quake carried a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 and originated off the eastern shore of the Iwate region, at a depth of roughly 50 kilometers — about 30 miles below the surface. The U.S. Geological Survey independently confirmed the same 6.9 magnitude reading.
Thursday’s earthquake struck an area that has seen repeated seismic activity in recent months, including a quake last December that set off a week-long major earthquake caution advisory.
The tremor hit during the morning commute in Japan’s northeastern region and was felt as far away as Tokyo, though only mildly there. Top government spokesperson Minoru Kihara said there were no immediate reports of injuries or property damage.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi addressed reporters in Tokyo, saying her government’s emergency response team is “putting people’s lives first” as officials gather information and stand ready to launch relief efforts if necessary. She called on residents in impacted areas to remain cautious in the event of aftershocks.
Tomoko Nagane, who serves as principal of a primary school in the town of Hashikami in Aomori prefecture, told NHK she was behind the wheel when earthquake alerts sounded. She described feeling a moderate side-to-side shaking. Students who had already arrived at school were safe, she said, though some were shaken and crying. School was called off for the day, and Nagane confirmed all children made it home safely.
NHK journalists reporting from hard-hit communities, including Sendai and Morioka, described feeling the shaking for roughly two minutes but said they observed no visible damage. Video from those areas showed commuters continuing about their day as normal.
East Japan Railway Co., which runs train service throughout the northeastern part of the country, announced that several bullet trains and regional rail lines were temporarily suspended to allow for safety inspections.
Spokesperson Kihara also confirmed that nuclear facilities in the region — including the Fukushima Daiichi plant, which suffered severe damage in the catastrophic 2011 earthquake and tsunami, as well as a spent nuclear fuel reprocessing facility in Aomori — reported no irregularities as a result of Thursday’s quake.
Japan sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire and ranks among the most seismically active nations on Earth.
