Earthquake shakes Japan and triggers tsunami warning

The earthquake occurred at 11:15 pm local time off the coast of Aomori Prefecture, in the northeast of the archipelago, with an epicenter 50 kilometers deep, according to meteorological authorities.

The earthquake hit the city of Hachinohe with the upper level 6 on Japan’s 7-level seismic stake, focused on measuring surface shaking and destructive potential, as well as the lower level 6 in the villages of Oirase and Hashikami.

The earthquake was seen across much of the country, from the north to the center and east of the country, including Tokyo, where it reached level 2 on the national seismic scale.

The JMA has issued a tsunami warning of up to three meters in height for the coast of Aomori Prefecture, neighboring Iwate and the southern tip of the island of Hokkaido, the northernmost of the archipelago, which is expected to arrive after midnight local time.

A tsunami warning of up to one meter was also activated for Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, as well as the southern coasts of Hokkaido, and a smaller warning for possible changes in tide levels for all of the territory’s Pacific coasts, where authorities urged people to stay away from the coast.

More than 13,000 people in Hokkaido, Iwate and Miyagi prefectures were asked to evacuate to shelters due to the risk of the tsunami, according to initial data from authorities.