Japan was struck by another earthquake on Wednesday, registering a magnitude of 6.5 on international scales, or 5.9 on Japan’s scale, marking the third straight day of seismic activity across the country. The latest tremor was felt mainly in eastern Aomori and Hokkaido prefectures at a depth of 30 kilometres, continuing a worrying pattern that began earlier in the week.
On Monday, a powerful 7.6-magnitude quake caused widespread destruction, injuring at least 51 people as buildings shook, roads cracked and tsunami waves of up to 70 centimetres were triggered. This was followed on Tuesday by a 6.7-magnitude quake in Honchō. Authorities fear the toll from Monday’s quake may increase, as aftershocks continue to rattle the region.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) has issued a rare “megaquake advisory”, warning of an elevated risk of a magnitude 8 or higher earthquake within the next week. The agency said seismic strain has heightened along the Hokkaido-Sanriku coastline, where the Pacific Plate dives beneath Japan, an area responsible for some of the country’s most devastating quakes.
The JMA also noted the unnerving similarity to the 2011 magnitude-9 megaquake, which was preceded two days earlier by a tremor of magnitude 7.3 in the same subduction zone. Experts say this week’s sequence of quakes could indicate increasing tectonic stress along the Japan Trench and Chishima Trench, raising fears of another large event.
Authorities continue to monitor aftershocks closely as emergency teams assess damage across multiple prefectures.
