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A day after the earthquake that registered a seismic intensity of 5- on the Japanese scale in Aomori Prefecture, the full extent of the damage is becoming clear. The Japan Meteorological Agency is urging caution regarding large-scale earthquakes for the next week or so. Footage capturing the moment of the earthquake in Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture, shows power lines and signs shaking violently along with a loud noise. Even in central Tokyo, far from the epicenter, the city was seen shaking slowly and significantly from side to side at the time of the earthquake. Golden Week is starting next week. What if an earthquake strikes while traveling…? Residents in the city said, “It’s scary to think that if you go too far away, you won’t be able to get back if something happens.”
In Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture, which registered a seismic intensity of 5- on the 20th, footage from the time of the earthquake shows hanging objects and lamps swaying violently. In a supermarket in Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture, the sudden shaking caused shelves to shake violently, and employees could be seen clinging to the shelves. In Misawa City, Aomori Prefecture, which registered a seismic intensity of 4, the shaking suddenly intensified and continued for nearly a minute.
The earthquake registered a seismic intensity of 5+ in Hashikami Town, Aomori Prefecture, and tremors were felt across a wide area of Japan, mainly in the Tohoku region. This earthquake also generated a tsunami. Tsunami warnings were issued for a time in the central Pacific coast of Hokkaido, the Pacific coast of Aomori Prefecture, and Iwate Prefecture. In Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture, where a tsunami warning was issued, children with school bags on their backs were seen running to safety. Residents in the vicinity were also seen heading to higher ground with their disaster preparedness backpacks. At evacuation centers, people were seen checking information on their smartphones or watching television intently. In the harbor, several boats were seen moving out to sea, presumably to escape the tsunami. At 5:34 p.m., an 80cm tsunami was observed at Kuji Port. Footage after the tsunami arrived shows the water level fluctuating significantly and fishing boats rocking violently.
A news crew that was reporting in Shiogama City, Miyagi Prefecture, experienced the earthquake while on location. The speakers on the ceiling were shaking violently. They hurried to the designated evacuation site, and from there they could see ships coming and going in the harbor. In Hiyoriyama, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, people who had evacuated to higher ground were seen gazing anxiously at the sea. One evacuee said, “I was surprised. Because it shook so hard. More than surprised, I thought, ‘Not again.’ I’ve experienced it many times before. I wonder if it’s going to happen again.” A day after the earthquake, the full extent of the damage began to become clear.
In Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture, the exterior walls of buildings had peeled off and scattered onto the sidewalk. Signs reading “Caution: Falling Objects” and “Danger” were posted on the walls, and some roads were closed. Also in Hachinohe City, at a Japanese confectionery shop, part of the exterior wall of the neighboring building had pierced through the ceiling. Kenji Iwaoka of “Beniya,” which was damaged, said, “When it fell onto the roof, the house shook violently, but I couldn’t tell if the house was shaking or if it was the earthquake.”
In Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, a black passenger car had fallen into a collapsed road near a railroad crossing. At around 4:50 a.m. on the 21st, JR East received a call from the police reporting that “a passenger car’s tires were stuck in a ditch in the road and it couldn’t move” at a JR Senseki Line railway crossing. There were no injuries. The road collapsed and a water pipe burst, causing a water leak. All of these are believed to be the result of the earthquake on the 20th. Meanwhile, even in central Tokyo, far from the epicenter, the earthquake had an impact.
A seismic intensity of 3 was observed in Hachioji City and a seismic intensity of 2 in the 23 wards of Tokyo. Building blinds were seen shaking violently. At the observation deck on the 45th floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the elevator came to an emergency stop due to the earthquake. Many tourists were seen standing in front of the elevator. Long-period ground motion that shook high-rise buildings was observed in Tokyo during this earthquake.
A person who was at work in Tokyo when the earthquake struck said, “It shook quite a bit. It felt like it shook for a long time. It’s been a while since I experienced such a big tremor, so it was scary in many ways.” A woman who was shopping and didn’t notice the earthquake said, “When I got home, my husband happened to be working from home, and he told me that the earthquake was pretty bad but he was okay, so that’s when I first found out.” She added that the recent earthquake has heightened her awareness of preparedness, saying, “There have been a lot of these lately, so I’ve been thinking about stocking up on water since last week, and maybe even getting a helmet ready.” The Japan Meteorological Agency is urging people to prepare for a larger earthquake over the next week or so.
Following the issuance of a warning about a late-earthquake off the coast of Sanriku, Hokkaido on the 20th, elementary and junior high schools in the affected areas were closed. According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, a total of six people were injured in Hokkaido, Iwate Prefecture, and other areas. The epicenter was north of the epicenter of the Great East Japan Earthquake, and according to Professor Junichi Nakajima of Tokyo University of Science, “Earthquakes have been frequent in the surrounding area since November 2025. If another large earthquake occurs, there is a risk of a tsunami,” he warned. FNN Prime Online
