By: Isuru Parakrama
December 09, World (LNW): A strong earthquake rattled northern Japan on Monday, leaving several guests at a hotel in the town of Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture nursing injuries after parts of the building were shaken violently.
The tremor, measured at magnitude 7.6, originated off the coast near the northern tip of Honshu, close to the strait separating it from Hokkaido. The force of the quake sent a small tsunami—reaching roughly 40 centimetres—into a number of coastal communities, where officials briefly urged residents to stay clear of the shoreline.
According to early reports, waves were recorded along the port of Mutsu Ogawara in Aomori as well as in the Hokkaido town of Urakawa. Local authorities said that while the tsunami was modest, they were taking no chances given the region’s long memory of past disasters.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told journalists that an emergency response team had been convened to determine the scale of the damage. She stressed that the government’s priority was to safeguard residents and maintain clear lines of communication with affected areas.
Public broadcaster NHK noted that nuclear facilities in the north immediately initiated precautionary inspections, though no irregularities were reported at the time. Emergency responders were continuing to survey buildings, ports, and roadways as aftershocks were expected through the evening.
