On December 8, a sizable quake—roughly 7.6 on the preliminary scale—hit northeastern Japan around 11:15 p.m. local time, shaking the area at a depth of 50 km. The tremor was strongest in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, and prompted the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue a tsunami warning for the coastlines of Aomori, Iwate and Hokkaido.
In response to the alert, Tokyo Electric Power Company halted the release of treated, nuclear‑contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi plant into the sea at about 11:42 p.m. The ministry’s notice came just after the tsunami warning went out, ensuring that the discharge was stopped as soon as possible.
The shaking caused only minor injuries in Aomori and Hokkaido, but the prefectures reported significant power outages—Aomori alone saw about 2,700 homes lose electricity. Meanwhile, the strongest on‑shore waves were expected to reach up to 3 meters along the Iwate coast, Hokkaido’s central Pacific shores, and the Pacific side of Aomori. People were urged to move immediately to higher ground, and indeed 50‑centimetre swells were seen in Urakawa, Hokkaido (12:21 a.m.) and Kuji Port, Iwate (12:10 a.m.) the following morning.
Transportation was also disrupted: Japanese Railways announced that Tohoku Shinkansen services between Fukushima Station and Shin‑Aomori Station were suspended in both directions due to the quake.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said the government was collecting details on any casualties and property damage, while a crisis‑management team was established at the Prime Minister’s Office to coordinate the response.
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