A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.5–7.6 hit the north-eastern coast of Japan last night, following which a tsunami warning was issued but most of the warnings/advisories have now been lifted from the coastal areas and the situation is considered under control.
Latest major earthquake: date, time, location
A deep sea earthquake with a magnitude of about 7.5–7.6 was recorded in the sea off northern Japan (Pacific coast near Hokkaido–Aomori) on December 8, 2025.
According to the US USGS and the Japan Meteorological Department (JMA), the shock occurred in the ocean a few dozen miles from the coast, at a depth of about 30–50 km, causing prolonged tremors felt as far as the capital Tokyo.
Tsunami status and government alerts
Immediately after the earthquake, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a warning of possible waves of up to 3 meters for the Pacific coast of the prefectures of Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate, but actual waves were mostly around 40–70 cm, and the warning was later changed to an advisory and lifted completely the next day.
Evacuation orders and warnings were issued for more than 1 lakh people in the early hours; There were reports of fires, minor damage to buildings, and dozens of injuries, but there were no confirmed reports of large-scale destruction or high tsunami waves.
Mega‑earthquake/tsunami background of July 2025
On July 30, 2025, a magnitude 8.8 megathrust earthquake struck off the Kamchatka coast of Russia, prompting tsunami warnings and evacuation advisories for up to two million people across the Pacific Ocean, especially along the Pacific coast of Japan.
Tsunami waves ranging between 30–100 cm were recorded at several ports in Japan (especially Hokkaido and the north‑eastern coast), but warnings were lifted the next day when they fell below the estimated 3 m; This event provides a good background to explain the new seismic activity.
Seismic activity continues in Japan
Small earthquakes continue to occur daily in various parts of Japan, especially in the northeast and island areas; The official real-time listing records several recent aftershocks of magnitude 4–5, which is considered typical of the “Ring of Fire.”
Hundreds of aftershocks and “swarm” activity were reported over the past months on smaller islands such as Tokara and Akuseki, prompting local authorities to step up temporary evacuations and monitoring, although no major damage was reported.
