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Japan’s 2025 Sanriku earthquake tests a new era of tsunami and ‘megaquake’ preparedness

As of May 2026: Key technical spokesperson explaining the subsequent earthquake advisory to northern Japan

On December 8, 2025, a magnitude 7.6 offshore earthquake struck off Aomori Prefecture in the Sanriku region at 23:15 JST. It shook Hachinohe at a maximum 'upper 6' intensity and triggered tsunami warnings forecasting waves up to three meters for parts of Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate.

Updated May 10