Horror in Japan as 3m Tsunami Warning Follows 7.6-Magnitude Quake: 90,000 Forced to Evacuate Homes

Residents in northeastern Japan were jolted awake late on 8 Dec when a violent 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast, putting the country on high alert just before midnight. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) quickly warned coastal communities that tsunami waves of up to three metres could hit the shoreline.

Sirens and smartphone alerts sounded across the region as authorities ordered tens of thousands of people to leave low-lying areas and move to higher ground. The quake has revived painful memories in a nation repeatedly exposed to major disasters, and it immediately triggered a nationwide disaster response.

Violent Tremors Trigger Tsunami Alerts

The JMA said the quake struck at 11.15pm local time (10.15pm Singapore time), with its epicentre about 80km off Aomori prefecture at a depth of 50km. Officials warned that a tsunami of up to three metres could reach parts of Japan's north-eastern coast.

Tsunami warnings were issued for the prefectures of Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate, and waves between 20cm and 70cm were observed at several ports soon after the earthquake. On Japan's 1–7 seismic intensity scale, the tremor registered as an 'upper 6' in Aomori, a level at which most people cannot stand and heavy furniture is likely to topple.

At this strength, the JMA notes that wall tiles and windowpanes can break in many buildings, increasing the risk of injury for anyone still indoors. The initial quake was strong enough to send some residents running out into the streets while others recorded swaying furniture and rattling interiors on social media.

Government Mobilises Emergency Response

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters at the Prime Minister's Office that, 'under the policy of putting human life first, the government will work together to do everything in its power to implement emergency disaster response measures, such as saving and rescuing those affected'. The comments were reported by Yomiuri Shimbun as emergency teams moved into affected areas.

Kyodo News, citing a government spokesperson, said officials were checking for injuries and structural damage, with at least two fires confirmed in Aomori city. Overall, around 90,000 people were told to evacuate, including nearly 30,000 residents across Iwate, Miyagi and Aomori prefectures, according to updates on X from the NERV disaster prevention app, which provides real-time alerts on disasters and extreme weather.

Fires, Injuries And Overnight Evacuations

Live broadcasts showed streets covered in shattered glass, giving a sense of the force of the shaking. In Hachinohe, residents left their homes and gathered at the city hall to shelter through the night.

Public broadcaster NHK quoted a hotel employee in Hachinohe who said there had been injuries linked to the quake. The shaking was also felt in the northern hub of Sapporo, where smartphone alarms sounded to warn residents just before the tremors arrived.

An NHK reporter in Hokkaido described a strong horizontal shaking that lasted for about 30 seconds and made it impossible to stay on his feet. Top government spokesman Minoru Kihara urged people to remain cautious and stay in safe places until the tsunami warning was lifted, saying, 'even after an initial wave, a second or third wave of an even greater height can arrive'.

Infrastructure, Markets And Seismic Risk

East Japan Railway suspended some services in the region while checks were carried out on tracks and facilities. Utility firms Tohoku Electric Power and Hokkaido Electric Power reported no irregularities at nearby nuclear power plants, and an initial estimate of thousands of households without power was later revised down to the hundreds.

A JMA official warned that 'there is a possibility that further powerful and stronger earthquakes could occur over the next several days'. As the situation unfolded, the yen briefly weakened against major currencies, with the dollar touching a session high around 155.81 yen before some recovery.

Japan sits on the seismically active Ring of Fire and accounts for about 20 per cent of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or greater. The north-eastern region was devastated on 11 March 2011, when a 9.0-magnitude tsunami and quake off Sendai killed nearly 20,000 people.

That 2011 earthquake also triggered the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear crisis, the world's worst nuclear disaster in 25 years. The latest tremor has once again underlined how quickly conditions can change in one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries.