A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck northern Japan at around 7:30 a.m. Thursday. The quake registered upper 6 on Japan’s seven-level seismic intensity scale in the town of Hashikami, Aomori Prefecture. 

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), an upper-6 tremor makes it “impossible to remain standing or move without crawling,” and people may be thrown into the air. The agency also says that most unsecured furniture moves and is likely to topple over.

No Tsunami Warning 

The quake’s epicenter was located off the coast of Iwate Prefecture at a depth of 44 kilometers. Hachinohe, in Aomori Prefecture, recorded a lower-6 intensity on Japan’s seismic scale.

No tsunami warning was issued. Also, no abnormalities were reported at the Higashidori or Onagawa nuclear power plants in Aomori and Miyagi prefectures. Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train services between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori stations were halted in the morning, but resumed in the afternoon. Kyodo News reported that at least four people, including teenagers and people in their 50s, were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

“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.

“To those in the areas where the shaking was strong, I ask that you continue to remain vigilant for the possibility of earthquakes of similar intensity. From now on, I will receive detailed reports and take charge of the disaster response,” wrote Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on X. 

Related Posts

Updated On June 25, 2026