A magnitude-6.7 earthquake struck off the coast of Aomori Prefecture on Friday at 11:44 a.m. local time (02:44 GMT), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said, with the quake originating about 20 km (12.4 miles) below the seabed. The JMA issued a tsunami advisory for parts of northern and northeastern Japan following the temblor.
The agency warned that the Pacific coast of Hokkaido and the prefectures of Aomori, Iwate and Miyagi could experience tsunami waves up to around 1 metre. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) also recorded the earthquake at magnitude 6.7.
Officials urged residents along the coast and near rivers connected to the sea to move to higher ground or to inland locations as a precaution. The JMA reiterated earlier guidance that similar or larger aftershocks remain possible in the days after strong quakes.
The event occurred four days after a powerful magnitude-7.5 earthquake off eastern Aomori on Monday. Broadcaster NHK said Friday’s shaking was weaker than Monday’s 7.5 quake, which had damaged roads, shattered windows and generated tsunami waves of roughly 70 centimetres (about 2.3 feet).
Authorities reported no immediate problems at regional nuclear facilities. The Nuclear Regulation Authority said it found no abnormalities, Tohoku Electric Power reported no issues at the Higashidori plant in Aomori or the Onagawa plant in Miyagi, and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said the Fukushima Daiichi and Daini sites showed no abnormal readings. Radiation monitoring posts around the facilities also registered no changes.
Local emergency services and government agencies remained on alert and continued to monitor the situation, urging residents to follow official instructions and updates from the JMA and local authorities.
Updated at: 11:05 AM, Dec 12, 2025 (IST)
