12 Dec 2025

Tsunami advisory lifted after magnitude 6.9 earthquake hits Japan's northeast region

6:44 pm on 12 December 2025
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.7 hit Japan's northeastern region on Friday.

The 6.7 magnitude quake hit Japan's northeastern region. Photo: USGS

Japan has lifted a tsunami advisory issued after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hit the country's northeastern region on Friday, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.

The JMA earlier put the earthquake's preliminary magnitude at 6.7.

The quake struck at 11.44am (local time) off the coast of Aomori prefecture with a depth of 20 km, after a bigger, 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit the same region late on Monday.

After Monday's earthquake, the government issued a special advisory warning residents across a wide area, from Hokkaido in the north to Chiba, east of Tokyo, to be on alert for an increased possibility of a powerful earthquake hitting again within a week.

The tremor on Friday measured 4 on Japan's 1-7 seismic intensity scale.

-Reuters