Tokyo, January 13, 2025 – A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Japan late on January 13, causing two small tsunamis in the area but no reported damage. The quake occurred at a depth of 36 km, approximately 18 km off the coast of Miyazaki prefecture in the Kyushu region, according to the US Geological Survey. The tremor was recorded at around 9:19 pm local time.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) warned of possible tsunami waves of up to one meter and urged the public to avoid coastal waters. “Tsunamis can strike repeatedly. Please do not enter the sea or go near coastal areas,” the JMA stated on X. Two small tsunamis of around 20 cm were detected at two ports in the region, the weather agency reported.
Local media reported no immediate injuries, and live television feeds from the region on public broadcaster NHK showed no visible damage. The seas remained calm, with vessels operating and traffic running normally.
Japan, located on the western edge of the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” is one of the world’s most tectonically active countries, experiencing about 1,500 jolts annually and accounting for around 18 percent of the world’s earthquakes. While the vast majority are mild, their impact varies depending on the location and depth at which they strike.
On New Year’s Day 2024, a 7.5-magnitude quake struck the Noto peninsula, killing nearly 470 people, many of them elderly residents. In August 2024, the JMA warned of an increased likelihood of a “megaquake” following a magnitude 7.1 jolt that injured 15 people. This tremor was a subduction megathrust quake, known to occur in pairs and capable of unleashing massive tsunamis. The advisory, concerning the Nankai Trough, an 800 km undersea gully parallel to Japan’s Pacific coast, was lifted after a week.
The JMA is currently probing possible links between the latest quake and previous seismic activity. Japan has strict construction regulations to ensure buildings can withstand strong earthquakes and routinely holds emergency drills to prepare for major jolts.
The memory of the massive 9.0-magnitude undersea quake off northeastern Japan in March 2011 haunts the country. The quake triggered a tsunami that left around 18,500 people dead or missing and caused three reactors to meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant, resulting in Japan’s worst post-war disaster and the most serious nuclear accident since Chernobyl. In March 2022, a 7.4-magnitude quake off the coast of Fukushima shook large areas of eastern Japan, killing three people. The capital, Tokyo, was devastated by a massive earthquake just over a century ago in 1923.