An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 struck at about 5:03 p.m. on the 9th in the sea east of Iwate Prefecture, Japan. The Japan Meteorological Agency initially estimated the magnitude at 6.7, then revised it up to 6.9.
A tsunami advisory was issued for coastal areas of Iwate Prefecture due to the earthquake that occurred that day. Evacuation orders were also issued for some coastal residents, including about 6,000 people in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture. The Korea meteorological Administration said a tsunami of up to 1 meter could occur along the Iwate coast due to this earthquake, but the actual observed tsunami heights so far have been limited to 20 centimeters each at Kuji Port and Ofunato Port in Iwate Prefecture.
The epicenter was in the sea 204 kilometers east of Morioka, Iwate Prefecture. The focal depth was observed at 10 kilometers. After the magnitude 6.9 quake, several additional earthquakes followed, including magnitudes 6.3 and 5.6.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, tremors with an intensity of 4 were detected in places including Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, and Wakuya, Miyagi Prefecture. The Japanese seismic scale of shindo, unlike "magnitude," which means absolute strength, is a numerical value of how people in the area feel and how much surrounding objects shake when an earthquake occurs. An intensity of 4 is a level where most people are startled and ceiling-hung lights sway greatly.
According to local media, there were no abnormalities at the Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant in Miyagi Prefecture, and no reports of significant damage were received by local governments. However, service on both the up and down Tohoku Shinkansen lines between Sendai, Miyazaki Prefecture, and Shin-Aomori Station in Aomori Prefecture was suspended for about 20 minutes due to a temporary power outage, then resumed.