A 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s northeastern region on 12 Dec 2025 at 11:44am local time. The tremor hit off the coast of Aomori Prefecture, prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) to issue a tsunami advisory.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) placed the epicenter 130km northeast of Kuji city in Iwate prefecture. The JMA warned of possible tsunami waves up to 1m high, potentially hitting Hokkaido, Iwate and Miyagi prefectures between noon and 1:20pm, according to The Japan News.
The earthquake measured four on Japan’s seismic intensity scale, which runs from one to seven.
National broadcaster NHK said no tsunami damage was expected. The shaking was less intense than a bigger tremor that struck on 8 Dec 2025.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority confirmed on 12 Dec 2025 that all nuclear facilities in the area showed no immediate signs of problems.
Singapore’s Embassy in Tokyo warned Singaporeans on Facebook to stay away from coasts and river mouths. The advisory told Singaporeans to keep evacuating until all warnings were lifted.
Recent Tremors and Megaquake Warnings
This earthquake came just days after a stronger 7.5 magnitude quake hit the same area on the evening of 8 Dec 2025.
That earlier quake injured at least 30 people. Items fell off shelves, roads cracked open, windows shattered, and tsunami waves reached 70cm. Tsunami warnings were downgraded by the morning of 9 Dec 2025.
Following the 8 Dec earthquake, the Japanese government issued a special advisory. Residents from Hokkaido in the north down to Chiba, east of Tokyo, were told to stay alert for a powerful earthquake within the next week.
Japanese authorities have also put out a precautionary alert for a megaquake of magnitude eight or higher.
The government has warned that a maximum-level earthquake could trigger a major tsunami along the Japan and Chishima trenches, potentially killing up to 199,000 people. Japanese media reports say experts believe this threat is becoming more imminent.
A megaquake in this area could unleash tsunamis along Japan’s Pacific coast from Hokkaido down to Chiba Prefecture.
