A powerful magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck southwest Japan on Monday, prompting tsunami warnings for several regions. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the earthquake occurred at 9:19 PM local time (3:19 PM CET).
The epicenter was located in Miyazaki Prefecture on the southwest island of Kyushu, with additional warnings issued for the nearby Kochi Prefecture on Shikoku island. In some coastal areas, residents were instructed to evacuate as a precaution, and some train services were halted. There have been no immediate reports of significant damage.
Public broadcaster NHK reported that a tsunami, measuring approximately one meter in height, made landfall within 30 minutes of the tremor. The earthquake, which struck at a depth of 30 kilometers, caused shaking across a wide area of Kyushu.
Japan, located along the “Ring of Fire,” is no stranger to seismic activity due to its position along fault lines and volcanoes in the Pacific Basin. Experts met later on Monday to evaluate the quake, which may be linked to the Nankai Trough—a region historically associated with major earthquakes, including the deadly 1946 tremor that claimed over 1,300 lives.
Japan’s most devastating earthquake occurred in 2011, when a 9.0-magnitude earthquake off the east coast triggered a tsunami that resulted in the deaths of over 18,000 people.
