A strong earthquake struck off Aomori Prefecture, Japan, injuring more than 13 people and prompting a report of one fire in dwellings. A "post-earthquake caution information" alert, indicating a higher possibility of a massive earthquake, was also issued for the first time.
According to Kyodo News and others on the 8th, an earthquake estimated at magnitude 7.5 struck off the northeastern tip of Honshu near Aomori Prefecture at about 11:15 p.m. The focal depth was 54 kilometers, and a magnitude 7.6 earthquake also occurred in January last year on the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture in central Honshu.
Jiro Akama, the minister in charge of disaster management, said at a meeting held at about 3 a.m. on the 9th that 13 people were injured, including one seriously injured, eight with minor injuries, and four whose degree of injury was unknown, and that one fire in dwellings had been confirmed. However, the damage is likely to grow larger as the situation is assessed after daybreak.
In Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture, near the epicenter, the shaking reached upper 6 on the Japanese scale, and in Oirase and Hashikami it reached lower 6. During the Noto earthquake on Jan. 1 last year, shaking of 7 was observed.
Unlike magnitude, which indicates absolute strength, the Japan Meteorological Agency's seismic intensity scale (shindo) is a relative measure that quantifies how people in the area feel and how surrounding objects shake during an earthquake. At lower 6, window glass and wall tiles are damaged, and at upper 6, it is difficult for a person to remain standing.
Tsunami warnings were issued for a time along the Pacific coasts of Aomori and Iwate in Honshu and Hokkaido due to this earthquake. Around 1 a.m. on the 9th, observed tsunami heights were ▲ 70 centimeters at Kuji Port in Iwate Prefecture ▲ 50 centimeters in Urakawa, Hokkaido ▲ 40 centimeters at Mutsu-Ogawara Port in Aomori Prefecture.
The Japan Meteorological Agency announced at about 2 a.m. on the 9th the "Hokkaido and Sanriku offshore post-earthquake caution information" for the first time since its introduction in 2022. This is issued when an earthquake of magnitude 7.0 or greater occurs in a source region where a massive earthquake is anticipated and it is judged that the likelihood of a massive earthquake has increased compared with usual.
Sanae Takaichi, the prime minister, said, "For about the next week, please pay attention to information from the meteorological agency and local governments," and urged, "Reconfirm earthquake countermeasures such as securing furniture, and if you feel shaking, be ready to evacuate immediately."