“Evacuate immediately”: 7.4 Magnitude Earthquake hits Japan, Tsunami Warning Triggered

The waves could reach three meters. The country is still traumatized by the magnitude 9.0 earthquake of March 2011, followed by a tsunami, causing 18,500 deaths.

A violent earthquake magnitude 7.4 hit the north of Japan this Monday, April 20, 2026, indicated the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), which issued a tsunami warning predicting waves of up to three meters.

The earthquake occurred at 4:53 p.m. (07:53 GMT) in Pacific waters off northern Iwate Prefecture. The tremors were so violent that they shook tall buildings until Tokyo, several hundred kilometers away.

Tsunami alert

The first waves of the tsunami could immediately reach the northern coast, the JMA said. She warned that damage from tsunami waves was expected.

Evacuate coastal areas and riparian areas immediately to a safer location, such as elevated terrain or an evacuation building. Tsunami waves are expected to strike several times. Do not leave safe places until the alert is lifted.
NHK TV channel

The country is still traumatized by the magnitude 9.0 earthquake of March 2011, which triggered a tsunami, causing some 18,500 deaths or disappearances. This earthquake was triggered on the Pacific coast of Japan, along the Nankai Trench, off the coast of the country.

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1,500 tremors each year in Japan

This 800 kilometer underwater trench is the area where the oceanic plate of the Philippine Sea slowly “sinks” beneath the continental plate on which Japan rests. The government estimates that an earthquake in the Nankai Trench, followed by a tsunami, could kill up to 298,000 people and cause up to $2 trillion in damage.

Japan sits at the junction of four large tectonic plates on the western edge of the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, and is among the most seismically active countries in the world.

The archipelago, which has around 125 million inhabitants, is experiencing some 1,500 shakes every year. The vast majority are light, although damage varies depending on their location and depth below the Earth’s surface.