A summary of our coverage from today
A powerful earthquake has struck central Japan’s western coastline, triggering waves over a metre high and prompting tsunami alerts and warnings for people to evacuate.
Japan’s meteorological agency initially reported that a 7 magnitude earthquake occurred at about 11pm, but later said this number was inaccurate and the quake was smaller, with an intensity of 3, according to public broadcaster NHK.
An aftershock of magnitude 5 hit the Noto peninsula at 8.35pm, leading to alerts being issued to residents to beware of already weakened buildings and structures collapsing.
The tsunami warning in Japan was later downgraded to a tsunami advisory. But people were warned they should remain alert for more possible earthquakes.
One man died following a building collapse in Ishikawa prefecture, Reuters reported, citing Japan’s NTV.
North Korea issued a tsunami warning for its eastern coast, Reuters reported citing Yonhap. South Korea issued alerts on rising sea levels, the Yonhap news agency reported.
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A powerful earthquake has struck central Japan’s western coastline, triggering waves over a metre high and prompting tsunami alerts and warnings for people to evacuate.
Read Gavin Blair’s coverage from Tokyo:
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The tsunami warning in Japan has been downgraded to a tsunami advisory
The tsunami warning in Japan has been downgraded to a tsunami advisory.
According to Japan’s Meteorological Agency, the advisory remains in place across the west of the country.
Tsunami forecasts (slight sea level changes) remain in place in the south-west and the north-east of Japan.
Summary of the day so far
Japan is grappling with the aftermath of a 7.6-magnitude earthquake that hit the country’s west coast.
Smaller earthquakes have continued.
A tsunami warning remains in effect for several regions. Tsunami waves have already hit parts of the coast.
Japanese authorities urged residents of impacted areas to immediately seek shelter in higher ground. Some locals are spending the night at schools and other public buildings.
Injured people have arrived at local hospitals and there are reports of people trapped under collapsed buildings.
There are widespread reports of damage to buildings and roads.
Air traffic in the region has also been disrupted.
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It’s a tough night for people who had to leave their homes in Japan as a result of earthquakes and tsunami alerts.
Officials say that residents should stay away from affected areas until they are told it’s safe.
Tsunami warnings are still in place.
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And here’s the latest on earthquake activity, from the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Here’s the latest tsunami estimates from the Japan Meteorological Agency.
One dead following building collapse in Japan: report
One man has died following a building collapse in Ishikawa prefecture, Reuters reported, citing Japan’s NTV.
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More earthquakes reported in Japan
More earthquakes are reported in Japan.
Japan’s meteorological agency initially reported a 7 magnitude earthquake occurred at about 11pm, but later said this number was inaccurate and the quake was smaller, with an intensity of 3, according to public broadcaster NHK.
The agency’s website now reports a magnitude 4.2 earthquake at 11:19pm local time off the coast of Noto peninsula.
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Here are more images of damage in Japan following the earthquakes.
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Highest-level tsunami warning dropped but residents in coastal areas told not to return to homes
Japan dropped its highest-level tsunami alert, issued following a series of major earthquakes on Monday, but told residents of coastal areas not to return to their homes as deadly waves could still come.
The quakes, the largest of which had a magnitude of 7.6, started a fire and collapsed buildings on the west coast of Japan’s main island, Honshu. It was unclear how many people might have been killed or hurt, the Associated Press reported.
The Japan Meteorological Agency reported more than a dozen quakes in the Japan Sea off the coast of Ishikawa and nearby prefectures shortly after 4pm.
At least six homes were damaged by the quakes, with people trapped inside, government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said. A fire broke out in Wajima city, Ishikawa prefecture, and electricity was out for more than 30,000 households, he said.
The agency initially issued a major tsunami warning for Ishikawa and lower-level tsunami warnings or advisories for the rest of the western coast of the island of Honshu, as well as the northernmost of its main islands, Hokkaido.
The warning was downgraded to a regular tsunami several hours later, meaning the waters could still reach up to 3 metres (10ft). Aftershocks could also hit the same area over the next few days, it said.
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Summary of the day so far
A powerful magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck central Japan’s western coastline, prompting tsunami alerts and warnings for residents to evacuate.
Tsunami waves hit parts of the Japanese coast.
Tsunami warnings are still in effect for a number of Japanese prefectures.
There are also tsunami alerts in South Korea, North Korea, and parts of Russia’s far east.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has asked people in the affected areas to evacuate immediately to higher ground and get as far away as possible from the coast.
There are reports of collapsed buildings, road damage, power cuts and injured people arriving in hospitals in Japan.
There is a risk of further quakes over the coming days.
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Here is an updated map of the largest earthquake that hit Japan today and its impact.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has cautioned that more quakes could follow in the coming days.
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Here are images of evacuees in Japan.
People near affected coastal areas were told to evacuate immediately.
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Public broadcaster NHK notes that there are reports of collapsed buildings, trapped and injured people, and cracks in roads.
Tsunami warnings remain in effect and local people are being urged to evacuate immediately.
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As people in affected areas of Japan seek shelter on higher ground amid tsunami warnings, in other parts of the country people are closely following the news.
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Aftershock hits Noto peninsula
An aftershock of magnitude 5 hit the Noto peninsula at 8.35pm, leading to alerts being issued to residents to beware of already weakened buildings and structures collapsing.
“Major tsunami warnings” for the Noto district were downgraded to “tsunami warnings” at 8.30pm, with tsunami advisories left in place for most of the rest of the Sea of Japan coast.
Tsunami that are expected to be 5 metres or higher trigger major warnings, while those up to 3 metres prompt tsunami warnings, and tsunami advisories are for those up to 1 metre.
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The “major tsunami warning” for Noto region has been downgraded to a “tsunami warning”.
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North Korea issues tsunami warning
North Korea has issued a tsunami warning for its eastern coast, Reuters reported citing Yonhap.
The Korea Meteorological Administration has said that the massive earthquake that struck earlier in the day caused minor tsunamis in waters off South Korea’s east coast province of Gangwon on Monday evening, the Yonhap news agency reported.
But the administration also said the height of a tsunami could reach a more dangerous level depending on the tide, Yonhap reported.
Gangwon had sent text message warnings to residents in six cities and counties close to the coast urging people to evacuate to higher ground.
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Japan’s public broadcaster, NHK, has published footage of damage in parts of the country in the aftermath of the earthquakes.
Tsunami waves have already reached the coast in some areas.
Residents living close to coastal areas and rivers are being urged to evacuate to higher ground. Officials warn that tsunamis could repeatedly hit coastal areas, and that another big earthquake could hit in the coming days.
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Here are new images showing damage from Japan’s earthquakes today.
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Aftershocks continue to strike off the coasts of Ishikawa and Niigata prefectures, with more than 40 tremors of magnitude 3.5 or stronger felt between 4.06pm and 7.05pm.
A Tokyo resident visiting her home city of Takaoka, directly south of the worst-affected Noto Peninsula, told the Guardian:
We’re not that close to the coast so tsunamis are not a worry but the aftershocks just keep coming and shaking the whole house, it’s terrifying.
Large cracks have opened up in roads in the area and in neighbouring Toyama city, with the tyres of some vehicles getting stuck in the cracks, leaving some roads unpassable.
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Here is a map of affected areas in Japan.
A major tsunami warning has been issued for Ishikawa prefecture.
There are also warnings in place for Niigata, Toyama, Yamagata, Fukui and Hyogo prefectures.
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Watch footage of Japan's earthquakes
Footage circulating on social media showed shaking inside shops and a railway station. NHK TV warned torrents of water could reach as high as 5 metres and urged people to move to high land or to the tops of buildings.
Watch footage here:
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Six people trapped under rubble in Japan
Six people are reported to be trapped under the rubble of collapsed houses on the Noto Peninsula. No information on their condition is yet available.
The fires in Wajima city on the peninsula appeared to have destroyed at least half a dozen houses. There had been no reports of injuries or fatalities yet. Residents have been evacuated to a judo and kendo dojo in the local police station but there are reported to be no emergency supplies available for them.
Yoshimasa Hayashi, the chief government spokesperson, said at a 7pm press conference in Tokyo that the Japan Self-Defense Forces were being readied for deployment to assist with rescue and aid work in the affected area.
Hiroshi Hase – the governor of Ishikawa, the hardest-hit prefecture – is reported to have been visiting Tokyo for the New Year holidays and is unable to return due to flights and trains being suspended due to the earthquake.
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Tsunami hits Japanese coast
Tsunami waves have reached some coastal areas, the public broadcaster NHK has reported.
Local residents have been urged to evacuate.
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The South Korea Meteorological Administration said tsunami waves may reach greater heights after the initial waves.
Here are more images from Japan today.
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No issues detected with nuclear power plant reactors, Japanese authority says
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) said there were no issues with reactors detected at any of the nuclear power plants in the affected area, at a press conference at 6.30pm.
However, oil spillages and other minor damage had been confirmed at some plants.
The NRA reported it would continue to monitor and provide updates on the situation at the 22 reactors across six plants nearest to where the earthquakes have struck.
Two of the reactors currently in operation in the area, at the Shika plant in Ishikawa, were not running at the time of the tremors due to a scheduled check.
Most of Japan’s 54 reactors have been offline since the Fukushima nuclear disaster in March 2011, triggered by a magnitude 9 earthquake and devastating tsunami.
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South Korea issues alert
South Korea has issued alerts on rising sea levels, the Yonhap news agency reported.
The eastern Gangwon province has urged some residents to evacuate to higher ground.
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Injured patients arrive in hospital as 36,000 households without power in Japan
A magnitude 5.6 quake hit at 6.08pm off the coast of the Noto peninsula, close to the epicentre of the strongest quake, which struck at 4.10pm with a magnitude estimated at 7.5.
Suzu City hospital in Ishikawa is reporting a stream of injured patients arriving.
Transport of the injured is being delayed by damaged roads. The hospital is using its own generators as power has been knocked out in the surrounding district.
Temperatures in the affected area are forecast to drop to around 1C overnight, with around 36,000 households estimated to be without power.
New Year’s Day is the main winter holiday in Japan and many families will have returned to visit relatives in their hometowns from major cities, such as Tokyo and Osaka.
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Tsunami alert issued in Vladivostok
The city of Vladivostok in Russia’s far east has issued a tsunami alert, telling fishers and others who planned to go out on the water to return to shore, Tass reported.
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More photos are coming in showing damage in Japan.
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Russian authorities say there is no evacuation in Sakhalin
Tass now reports that information about an ongoing evacuation in Sakhalin has been deleted from an official website, and that the regional emergencies department now says a tsunami alert has been issued but no evacuation of the population is being carried out.
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Injuries reported in Japan
The first reports of injuries are coming in from hospitals, including broken bones, but no fatalities have been confirmed so far.
Fires have broken out in what appear to be homes on the Noto peninsula.
Another earthquake, estimated at magnitude 5, struck at 6pm local time, triggering further warnings for residents.
Buildings and other structures weakened by the earlier quakes are particularly vulnerable to aftershocks.
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Here is a map from the United States Geological Survey of the earthquakes in Japan.
You can access the map and more data here.
Twenty earthquakes of magnitude 4 or stronger have struck off the coast of Ishikawa and neighbouring Niigata prefectures between 4.06pm and 5.29pm local time.
The strongest earthquake is now estimated at magnitude 7.5.
Blackouts and burst water mains have been reported in towns in the affected area, while major roads are being closed due to cracks and other damage.
Tsunami advisories have been issued for as far north as the island of Hokkaido and as far south as the island of Kyushu.
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More images are coming in from Japan.
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Footage from Wajima city showing collapsed and damaged houses, and huge cracks in roads has been broadcast by NHK, Japan’s public broadcaster.
The damage appears to be the result of the earthquake rather than the 1.2 metre tsunami that struck the area.
The prime minister, Fumio Kishida, arrived at his office at 5.15pm local time to assess the damage and lead the government’s response.
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Russia issues tsunami alert for Sakhalin
Russian authorities have issued a tsunami alert for the western coast of Sakhalin.
An evacuation is under way, the regional emergencies department said, Tass reported.
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Japanese prime minister calls for evacuation
Fumio Kishida, Japan’s prime minister, has called on residents in affected areas to evacuate immediately, Reuters reported.
Residents need to stay on alert for further possible quakes and I urge people in areas where tsunamis are expected to evacuate as soon as possible.
A government spokesperson, meanwhile, cautioned residents to prepare for possible further quakes.
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Here is a map published by the Japanese Meteorological Agency showing its latest warnings by area.
'Major tsunami warnings are currently in effect,' Japanese meteorological agency says
The Japanese Meteorological Agency said that “major tsunami warnings are currently in effect for coastal regions of Japan”.
On its website, the agency provided a list of regional alerts.
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Earthquakes hit Japan, triggering tsunami warning
A series of earthquakes hit Japan today, triggering tsunami alerts.
One of the earthquakes had a preliminary magnitude of 7.6, Reuters reported.
The Japanese public broadcaster NHK TV said torrents of water could reach as high as 5 metres, the Associated Press reported. The public broadcaster urged people to flee to high land or the top of a nearby building.
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