A powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake shook northern Japan on Dec. 8, prompting warnings of a tsunami as high as 10 feet and evacuation orders.
The earthquake struck at 11:15 p.m. local time and was centered off the coast of Aomori prefecture, which is located on the northern tip of Japan’s main island, Honshu.
Multiple prefectures across northern Japan were under tsunami warnings, including Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate. A tsunami advisory was issued for Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, according to NHK, a public broadcaster in Japan.
A tsunami warning is issued as a live footage of a boat leaving a coast port screens on a television in Sapporo, in Japan’s northern Hokkaido prefecture on Dec. 8, 2025.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said at a news conference that authorities were assessing the damage. Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara Minoru told reporters that the strongest tremors were recorded in the city of Hachinohe in Aomori prefecture.
NHK reported that multiple people were injured at a hotel in Aomori. The broadcaster also reported that authorities were assessing nuclear power plants.
Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries on the planet due to its location on the “Ring of Fire,” where volcanic arcs and oceanic trenches partly encircle the Pacific Basin.
This story will be updated.
Contributing: Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Japan warns of tsunami 10-feet high after major earthquake
