Magnitude 7.4 Earthquake Strikes Eastern Offshore Honshu, Japan...Tsunami Warning Issued

Screenshot of the Japan Meteorological Agency website. The red areas indicate tsunami warning zones.

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A powerful earthquake, estimated at magnitude 7.4, struck the eastern offshore area of Honshu, Japan, at around 4:53 p.m. on April 20, 2026.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the epicenter was located off the coast of Iwate Prefecture, with a depth of approximately 10 kilometers. Due to the strong quake, the Japanese government immediately issued a tsunami warning.

As a result of the earthquake, Aomori Prefecture’s Hashikami Town experienced a maximum seismic intensity of upper 5, while areas such as Miyako City and Morioka City in Iwate Prefecture, as well as Hachinohe City and Shichinohe Town in Aomori Prefecture, recorded lower 5 levels of shaking. Some parts of Tokyo also felt noticeable movement in buildings.

Japan's seismic intensity scale, known as 'Shindo,' is a relative indicator based on the actual sensation of shaking by people and the response of surrounding objects, as opposed to 'magnitude,' which measures the absolute size of an earthquake. An upper 5 intensity means most people have difficulty moving, and unfixed furniture may topple due to the strong tremors.

Tensions are running high, especially along the coasts of Iwate Prefecture and southern Hokkaido, as tsunamis up to 3 meters in height are expected to reach these areas.

NHK, through emergency broadcasts, repeatedly aired the phrase "Tsunami, run away," urging people to evacuate to higher ground immediately.

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