The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a tsunami advisory on Thursday, following a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 that struck off the southern coast of Japan.
The earthquake’s epicenter — situated off the eastern coast of Kyushu, the main island in the south — occurred at a depth of approximately 30 kilometers.
The advisory cautioned that tsunami waves of up to one meter in amplitude could potentially affect the southern coast of Kyushu and the nearby island of Shikoku.
The city of Nichinan and the surrounding areas of Miyazaki Prefecture were the most severely affected.
In the 30 minutes following the earthquake, tsunami waves reaching 50 centimeters were observed along parts of Kyushu’s southern coast and Shikoku.
In response to the incident, seismologists promptly convened an emergency meeting to assess the impact on the nearby Nankai Trough, a region known for its seismic activity and potential to trigger significant earthquakes.
Operators of nuclear plants in Kyushu and Shikoku initiated inspections to ascertain and address any potential damage.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has postponed his planned trip to Central Asia to monitor the emerging situation on the ground.
On March 11, 2011, Japan was devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake, a magnitude 9.1 seismic event that caused extensive damage, resulting in approximately 20,000 fatalities and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear catastrophe.