- Japan Hit by Enormous Earthquake,Significant tsunami advisory issued and later downgraded
- Earthquake recorded as the largest on record in Noto Peninsula
- Numerous reports of dozens of houses destroyed
On January 1, 2024, a powerful earthquake struck central Japan, prompting evacuation warnings for residents in certain west coast areas. The seismic activity resulted in the destruction of buildings, power outages affecting thousands of homes, and disruptions to travel in the region.
A seismic event with an initial magnitude of 7.6 generated waves of approximately 1 meter along sections of the Sea of Japan coast. Authorities have cautioned that larger waves may ensue.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) released tsunami warnings for the coastal prefectures of Ishikawa, Niigata, and Toyama. Initially, a significant tsunami warning— the first since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan—was issued for Ishikawa but was later downgraded.
Tsunami warnings were also issued by Russia in its far eastern cities of Vladivostok and Nakhodka.
Numerous homes lie in ruins, prompting the deployment of military units for assistance in rescue operations, as communicated by the primary government spokesperson, Yoshimasa Hayashi. He mentioned that authorities are currently evaluating the full extent of the damage
Over the next few days, more powerful earthquakes may occur in the region, where seismic activity has been simmering for more than three years, according to JMA spokesman Toshihiro Shimoyama.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, in statements to the press shortly after the earthquake, also cautioned residents to brace themselves for potential additional disasters.
“Residents should remain vigilant for potential subsequent earthquakes, and I strongly encourage individuals in areas anticipating tsunamis to evacuate promptly,” expressed Kishida.
Bright yellow warnings flashed across television screens, urgently displaying a message to “Evacuate!” and advising residents in designated coastal areas to promptly leave their homes.
Images from the local media showed a building in the coastal city of Suzu collapsing in a cloud of dust, and a large fissure on a road in Wajima where worried parents clutched their children in obvious fear. At least thirty structures in Wajima collapsed, according to information from the city’s fire department, which NHK reported.
The earthquake also shook buildings in the capital city, Tokyo, situated approximately 500 km away on the opposite coast from Wajima.
Hokuriku Electric Power (9505.T) reported that over 36,000 households in Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures had experienced power outages.
High-speed rail services to Ishikawa have been halted, and telecom operators Softbank (9434.T) and KDDI (9433.T) have reported phone and internet service disruptions in Ishikawa and Niigata, as indicated on their respective websites.
Japanese airline ANA (9202.T) redirected planes originally bound for airports in Toyama and Ishikawa. Meanwhile, Japan Airlines (9201.T) canceled the majority of its services to the Niigata and Ishikawa regions. Authorities also announced the closure of one of Ishikawa’s airports.
NUCLEAR PLANTS
The Nuclear Regulation Authority of Japan has reported no irregularities at nuclear power plants along the Sea of Japan, which includes the five active reactors at Kansai Electric Power’s (9503.T) Ohi and Takahama plants in Fukui Prefecture.
Hokuriku’s Shika plant in Ishikawa, situated closest to the earthquake’s epicenter, had already suspended its two reactors for routine inspections before the quake occurred. The plant reported no impact from the earthquake, according to the agency.
The catastrophic earthquake and tsunami of 2011 claimed the lives of nearly 20,000 people, wreaked havoc on towns, and led to nuclear meltdowns in Fukushima.
In 1995, another seismic event, famously known as the Great Hanshin Earthquake, struck western Japan, resulting in the tragic loss of over 6,000 lives, predominantly in the city of Kobe.
The earthquake on Monday occurred on the public holiday of January 1, a time when millions of Japanese traditionally visit temples to celebrate the new year.
In Kanazawa, a renowned tourist destination in Ishikawa, images revealed the scattered remains of a collapsed gate at the entrance of a shrine, with concerned worshippers observing the scene.
After the earthquake struck, Kanazawa resident Ayako Daikai and her family swiftly evacuated to a nearby elementary school. She described how classrooms, stairwells, hallways, and the gymnasium were all filled with evacuees seeking shelter.
“When contacted by telephone, she shared, ‘Having also experienced the Great Hanshin Earthquake, I believed it would be safest to evacuate,'” recounted Ayako Daikai.
“We’re still unsure about when we’ll decide to return home.”
Tourists who had gathered in Japan’s mountainous Nagano region for the commencement of the snow sports season also experienced the tremor.
As the quake struck, Johnny Wu, a 50-year-old Taiwanese snowboarder, stood awaiting a shuttle bus to his hotel in the resort town of Hakuba. The tremor rattled windows and caused snow to cascade from roofs, along with a gentle sway in the overhead electric wires.
“Everyone was in a state of panic at that moment. I feel a bit more composed because I come from Taiwan and have experienced quite a lot. However, there’s still concern about the quake escalating,” he shared.
Contributions to this report were made by Tim Kelly, Satoshi Sugiyama, Kantaro Komiya, Sakura Murakami, Chang-Ran Kim, and the Tokyo newsroom. Additional reporting was provided by Nicoco Chan in Shanghai. The article was written by John Geddie and edited by Kim Coghill, Neil Fullick, and Louise Heavens.