Japan Tsunami Advisory: 6.7 Magnitude Quake Strikes Coast

Japan issued a tsunami advisory Friday after a 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck the country’s northeast, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Earthquake Details

The earthquake occurred off the east coast of Aomori prefecture, in the north of Honshu, the main Japanese island, at a depth of 20km at 11:44 a.m. local time, the JMA said.

Tsunami Advisory

The Pacific coast of Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate and Miyagi prefectures could experience a tsunami of up to 1 meter, the agency added. An advisory is a lower level of caution than a warning.

Damage and injuries were not immediately clear.

Recent Seismic Activity

Friday’s quake followed a 7.5 magnitude earthquake earlier this week in the north that caused injuries and light damage, as well as a tsunami in Pacific coastal communities.

At least 34 people were injured in that quake on Monday off the coast of Aomori. A tsunami more than 0.6 meters above tide levels was measured in Kuji port in Iwate prefecture before all tsunami advisories were lifted. Power was briefly knocked out for hundreds of homes but was mostly restored Tuesday morning.

Authorities had warned of possible aftershocks following Monday’s quake.

Officials also noted a slight increase in risk of a magnitude 8-level quake and possible tsunami occurring along Japan’s northeastern coast from Chiba to Hokkaido. The agency urged residents in 182 municipalities in the area to monitor their emergency preparedness in the coming week, clarifying that this is not a prediction of a major event.

The quakes occurred in a coastal region that experienced a magnitude 9.0 quake and tsunami in 2011, which killed nearly 20,000 people and destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.