Ryoichi Nomura

New Capabilities

Overseeing issuance and explanation of the first ‘subsequent earthquake’ megaquake advisory for northern Japan

Just before midnight on December 8, a magnitude‑7.5 quake slammed offshore near Aomori, shaking Hachinohe hard enough to topple furniture, briefly cutting power, and sending up small tsunamis that still forced about 90,000 people to evacuate from coastal towns. By morning the tsunami warnings were gone and only minor injuries and damage had been confirmed, but the real shock came next: Japan’s Meteorological Agency pulled the lever on its rarest tool, a top‑tier “megaquake” advisory for a possible magnitude‑8 or larger event along the northern Pacific coast in the coming week.

Updated Dec 11, 2025