On Monday, January 13, 2025, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported that a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the southern Kyushu region of Japan.
The earthquake occurred at 9:19 p.m. local time on Monday (7:19 a.m. Eastern Time) and subsequently triggered tsunami warnings for the southern regions of Miyazaki and Kochi prefectures, with expected wave heights of up to 3.2 feet (approximately 1 meter). The Meteorological Agency issued a reminder on social platform X, advising people not to approach the seashore or enter the sea until the warnings are lifted.
According to reports from Japan’s public broadcaster NHK, following the tsunami warnings, waves as high as 20 centimeters reached Miyazaki City, the capital of Miyazaki Prefecture with a population of approximately 400,000 residents.
The Japan Meteorological Agency stated that the earthquake had a depth of 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) and shook a large area of southwestern Kyushu. The earthquake was reported to have a maximum intensity of “5-weak” on Japan’s seismic intensity scale.
The extent of the damage is yet to be determined. As a precautionary measure, residents of coastal city Kochi were advised to evacuate.
NHK also reported that the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant in western Japan and the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant in Kagoshima Prefecture found no abnormal conditions following the earthquake. These two nuclear plants are the closest facilities to the epicenter of the quake.
NHK television footage showed that the area had normal traffic flow and street lights were on, indicating that power was still operational.
The Japan Meteorological Agency is investigating whether the earthquake is related to the Nankai Trough. The Nankai Trough refers to a subduction zone about 700 square kilometers in the sea from Suruga Bay to the east of Kyushu in Japan.
Japan is located in the “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped area of volcanic and seismic activity around the Pacific Basin, making it prone to frequent earthquakes and tectonic movements.
In August of last year, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a warning for the first time, stating that due to seismic activities in the Nankai Trough’s ocean floor area, Japan faces an increased risk of a once-in-a-century major earthquake.