Japan Earthquake: 7.1 Magnitude Shakes Southern Japan, Triggers Tsunami Advisory

An earthquake has hit Japan's southern region, as reported by NHK. A magnitude 7.1 earthquake, recorded as a lower 6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, hit southern Kyushu on Thursday afternoon.

The Meteorological Agency reported that the quake triggered a tsunami advisory for the eastern and southern coasts of Kyushu as well as the southern coast of Shikoku.

Photo Credit: X

A preliminary magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck western Japan on Thursday, leading to tsunami advisories for multiple areas in the southwestern islands of Kyushu and Shikoku, according to public broadcaster NHK.

Earthquake In Japan

The Japan Meteorological Agency reported that a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck at 5:36 p.m. local time (08:36 GMT) on Thursday, occurring at a depth of 540 km. The tremors, which registered a 3 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in parts of the prefecture, had their epicentre off the west coast of the islands, approximately 875 km south of Tokyo, at a latitude of 27.9 degrees north and a longitude of 140.0 degrees east. A tsunami warning was issued for the coastal areas of Kyushu and Shikoku islands, including Miyazaki and Kochi prefectures, according to Japan's weather agency.

Japan Earthquake: Caught On Cam Moments

Groceries tumbled from store shelves and scattered on the floor after a powerful earthquake struck Japan.

When the earthquake struck Japan, some visuals were captured in the shopping mall.

In the next visual, one can see the cars shaking at the time when the earthquake hit southern Japan. The video footage was from a dashcam that was attached to the vehicle.

The Japanese government has established a special task force in response to the recent earthquakes, according to a statement cited by AFP. Although there were no immediate reports of significant damage, Japan remains vigilant.

As one of the world's most seismically active nations, Japan has implemented stringent building codes to ensure structures can endure even the strongest earthquakes. The country experiences approximately 1,500 tremors annually, with the majority being mild. However, the extent of damage varies depending on the quake's location and depth, as reported by Hindustan Times.

On New Year's Day, a devastating earthquake claimed the lives of at least 260 people, including 30 due to "quake-linked" causes. The disaster struck as families were celebrating the new year, toppling buildings, sparking fires, and crippling infrastructure.

Japan's most powerful recorded earthquake occurred in March 2011, a magnitude-9.0 undersea quake off the northeast coast, as per media reports. The resulting tsunami left around 18,500 people dead or missing and triggered a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant, marking Japan's worst post-war disaster and the most severe nuclear incident since Chornobyl. The total cost of the 2011 disaster was estimated at 16.9 trillion yen ($112 billion), excluding the ongoing decommissioning of Fukushima, which is expected to take decades.