Japan Issues Tsunami Advisory After 7.7-Magnitude Earthquake
A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Japan's northeastern coast on April 20 at 4:53 p.m. local time, prompting tsunami warnings. Initial fears included waves up to 3 metres, but only 80 cm were recorded. Evacuations affected over 128,000 residents in Iwate and surrounding prefectures. Authorities reported no major injuries or damage, and nuclear facilities operated normally. The Japan Meteorological Agency raised the risk of a larger earthquake to 1% in the following week. Transport services, including bullet trains, were temporarily suspended. Japan is highly seismically active, accounting for about 20% of global earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or higher.
Published 21 hours ago • 20 Apr 2026, 07:11 PM IST