Tremors shook northern Japan on Thursday morning as an earthquake of magnitude 7.2 on the Richter Scale struck off the coast. No tsunami warning has been sounded, but citizens have been urged to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi also convened an emergency task force immediately after the quake to assess damage and lead rescue measures.
“Around 7:30 a.m. today, an earthquake with its epicenter off the coast of Iwate Prefecture occurred, and a strong shaking with a maximum seismic intensity of 6-upper was observed in Hashikami Town, Aomori Prefecture. There is no concern about a tsunami,” the Japanese PM wrote on X.
She also instructed the relevant ministries and agencies to provide timely and accurate information to the public regarding evacuation and damage from the quake. Takaichi also urged people living in the areas where the tremors were felt strongly to “remain vigilant for the possibility of earthquakes of similar intensity”.
Tremors felt in Tokyo
The National Center for Seismology assessed the earthquake to be of 7 magnitude on the Richter Scale. The Japan Times reported that a mild quake was also felt in Tokyo. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, an upper 6 is when people can only crawl and are unable to walk during an earthquake, and unsecured furniture will topple over.
Local media reported that some schools had cancelled classes in the Aomori prefecture and other affected areas. Footage on Japan’s NHK public television quoted its journalists from a number of strongly-hit towns, including Sendai and Morioka, saying they felt the shaking for a couple of minutes but have not seen any damage.
The East Japan Railway Co., which operates trains in northeastern regions, said some bullet trains and other local lines have been suspended for safety checks. Nuclear power plants and facilities, including the Fukushima Daiichi plant which was damaged by the 2011 massive quake and tsunami, and a spent fuel reprocessing plant in Aomori, have not reported any abnormalities from Thursday’s earthquake, Kihara said.
Taskforce formed
Japan, which sits on what is known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone areas.
“The government, immediately after the earthquake, established the Prime Minister’s Office Response Room at the Crisis Management Center in the Prime Minister’s Office, convened an emergency task force at the director-general level from relevant ministries and agencies, and based on my instructions, is fully committed to responses such as assessing the damage situation, rescue and relief efforts, and providing timely and accurate information to the public,” Takaichi wrote on X.