Tokyo: A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Japan’s Iwate Prefecture on Sunday afternoon, causing tsunami waves of up to 20 centimeters along the Pacific coast. The earthquake’s epicenter was located 16 kilometers off the coast of Iwate, occurring at approximately 5:03 p.m. This prompted the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue a tsunami advisory at 5:12 p.m.
According to Philippines News Agency, tsunami waves measuring 20 centimeters were reported in the Iwate cities of Kuji and Ofunato. The tsunami advisory was lifted at 8:15 p.m. The earthquake registered up to level 4 on Japan’s 10-notch seismic intensity scale, with the maximum tremors recorded in Morioka, the capital of Iwate, and the town of Yahaba. The neighboring Miyagi Prefecture town of Wakuya also experienced significant tremors.
East Japan Railway Co., or JR East, reported a temporary power outage affecting the Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train line. Services were suspended between Sendai Station in Miyagi and Shin-Aomori Station in Aomori Prefecture due to the quake. Additionally, there were delays on the Akita and Hokkaido Shinkansen lines.
