A television screen shows a news report on Japan Meteorological Agency's tsunami warning, saying it expected tsunami waves of up to 3 meters (9.84 feet) to reach large coastal areas in northern Japan after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.4 struck off the northeastern coast of Japan, in Tokyo, Japan, on April 20, 2026. Issei Kato/Reuters
A powerful earthquake struck off the northern coast of Japan on April 20, prompting tsunami warnings and emergency evacuations across parts of the country’s Pacific coastline, according to Japanese authorities.
The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 7.5, occurred at about 4:53 p.m. local time off the coast of Sanriku at a depth of approximately 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) stated in an official update issued at 5:08 p.m. local time.
Evgenia Filimianova is a UK-based journalist covering a wide range of international stories, with a particular interest in foreign policy, economy, and UK politics.
