July 31, 2025
TOKYO – A powerful earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 8.7 struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia at about 8:25 a.m. on Wednesday, prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue tsunami warnings along the Pacific coastlines of 13 prefectures, from Hokkaido to Wakayama.
Tsunami advisories were issued for a further 17 prefectures.
According to the JMA, a 1.3-meter tsunami was observed at Kuji Port in Iwate Prefecture at 1:52 p.m. An 80-centimeter tsunami was confirmed at Tokyo’s Hachijojima Island at 2:37 p.m. Another was recorded at Nemuro, Hokkaido, at 2:57 p.m.
A 50-centimeter tsunami was observed in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture. There were 40-centimeter tsunami in Hamanaka, Hokkaido; Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture; and Oarai, Ibaraki Prefecture; and 30-centimeter tsunami in locations including Kushiro, Hokkaido, and Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture.
The 13 prefectures covered by the tsunami warnings were: Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Chiba, Tokyo — for the Izu Island chains and the Ogasawara Islands — Kanagawa, Shizuoka, Aichi, Mie and Wakayama. By the evening, the warnings were downgraded to advisories in all areas apart from the Pacific coast of Hokkaido and the Tohoku region.
Following the earthquake, the JMA issued tsunami advisories for the Pacific coasts of Hokkaido and the Tohoku and Kanto regions. However, as the magnitude of the earthquake was revised upward from 8.0, the JMA upgraded the advisories to warnings at 9:40 a.m.
According to a Yomiuri Shimbun tally, evacuation directives had been issued to 2.77 million people across at least 220 municipalities in 21 prefectures, primarily along the Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Okinawa Prefecture, as of noon.
In the town of Rausu, Hokkaido, residents who had evacuated to higher ground anxiously watched the sea below near Rausu Port. Japan Coast Guard vessels were deployed to monitor the waters.
A JMA official specializing in measures related to earthquakes and tsunami held a press conference shortly after 10 a.m. “Tsunami can strike repeatedly. Please do not leave safe areas until the warning is lifted,” the official said.
The JMA noted that a magnitude 9.0 earthquake occurred near the Kamchatka Peninsula in November 1952. As a magnitude 7.4 earthquake also struck the area on July 20, the JMA official said, “We cannot say there is no connection [between the July 20 earthquake and the latest one].”
The JMA said that these were the first tsunami warnings issued since an earthquake off Taiwan in April last year. It also marks the first tsunami warnings issued due to a distant earthquake in 15 years, with the last being triggered by an earthquake in Chile in February 2010.
Transportation affected
The tsunami warnings affected public transport across the country.
According to the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry, 52 ferry routes operated by 38 passenger ship companies were suspended or delayed as of 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday. In Hokkaido and Ibaraki Prefecture, two ferries were unable to dock at ports due to evacuation orders. As of 5 p.m., both ferries remain anchored offshore.
In Miyagi Prefecture, Sendai Airport’s facilities and runway were closed shortly after the warnings were issued, resulting in 56 flights being canceled. Five flights were diverted or returned to their departure locations.
Twenty-six railway companies, including Hokkaido Railway Co. and East Japan Railway Co., suspended operations on 63 lines.
Firms halt operations
Nissan Motor Co. announced on Wednesday it had suspended operations at three of its plants in Japan, including the Oppama plant in Kanagawa Prefecture. The decision was made after the tsunami warnings were issued to ensure the safety of employees.
Kirin Holdings Co. said it had suspended operations at three of its facilities in response to tsunami warnings. Production was halted at Kirin Brewery Co.’s two plants in Miyagi and Kanagawa prefectures as well as at wine-producing unit Mercian Corp.’s Fujisawa plant in Kanagawa Prefecture.
Sapporo Breweries Ltd. announced on the day that it was suspending operations at its Shizuoka plant in Shizuoka Prefecture. The company reported no damage to the factory and all the employees impacted were safely evacuated.
Many convenience stores across Japan also temporarily closed.
About 260 Seven-Eleven stores along the Pacific coast, from Hokkaido to the Kansai region, were closed as of 11:30 a.m., 271 FamilyMart stores were closed as of 11 a.m., and Lawson Inc. said 266 stores were closed as of 11:30 a.m.
No damage has been reported at any of the affected stores.
Ishiba urges people to evacuate
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba urged people to evacuate and instructed authorities to release timely and accurate information to the public.