80cm Tsunami Hits Japan After 7.4 Quake

A tsunami reaching 80 centimeters struck northern Japan on Monday following a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) confirmed.

The surge was recorded at 17:34 local time (08:34 GMT) at Kuji Port in Iwate Prefecture. This peak followed an initial 70cm wave by two minutes, occurring roughly 41 minutes after the primary tremor.

The earthquake struck in the Pacific Ocean off northern Iwate. The force of the quake was felt hundreds of kilometers away in Tokyo, where large buildings swayed.

In response, the JMA urged residents to flee coastal regions and riverbanks immediately, advising them to seek safety on higher ground or within designated emergency shelters to avoid potential wave damage.

The Japanese government has established a crisis management task force to monitor the aftermath.

Japan remains one of the world's most earthquake-prone nations, sitting atop four major tectonic plates on the "Ring of Fire." The country, which has a population of 125 million, records about 1,500 seismic events every year.