Authorities in Japan reported 51 injuries from a 7.5-magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Aomori on Monday, 8 December 2025. The quake damaged roads, broke windows, and generated tsunami waves reaching up to 70 centimetres. Officials from the Fire and Disaster Management Agency updated the figure on Wednesday, 10 December 2025, from an initial count of 30.
This Japan earthquake prompted immediate evacuations in affected areas, though no deaths occurred based on available reports.
Background and Ongoing Seismic Risks
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a rare special advisory on Tuesday, 9 December 2025, alerting residents to a heightened risk of another large-scale earthquake in the region. According to the JMA, the relative likelihood of a tremor similar to or stronger than this recent seismic event in Japan has increased. The agency estimated a one-in-100 chance over the next seven days, as reported by local media.
The advisory applies to the Sanriku area on Honshu’s northeastern tip and parts of Hokkaido, both facing the Pacific Ocean. This marks the second such warning from the JMA; the first came in August 2024 for the Nankai Trough, where tectonic plates interact. That earlier alert, lifted after a week, sparked public panic and cancellations. Geologists note that historical data shows few large quakes follow with even bigger ones. “It does happen, just not very often,” stated experts Kyle Bradley and Judith A. Hubbard in their Earthquake Insights newsletter.
Official and Expert Responses
The JMA emphasized potential strong shaking and massive tsunamis if another quake hits, urging preparedness. The impact of this earthquake in Japan remains a topic of intense discussion. No immediate responses from government officials beyond the advisory appeared in reports as of Wednesday, 10 December 2025. Attempts to reach additional parties for comment yielded no further statements at the time of publication.
