A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck off the east coast of Aomori Prefecture in Japan on December 8, 2025. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning for the Pacific coastal regions of Aomori Prefecture, Iwate Prefecture, and parts of Hokkaido Prefecture. Additional tsunami alerts were extended to other northern areas including Fukushima Prefecture and eastern Hokkaido.
Local authorities have advised residents and visitors to avoid beaches, waterways, and activities such as swimming, surfing, fishing, or boating. Officials may close beaches and order evacuations from low-lying areas, harbors, and marinas. Ships are being directed to move to deeper water if it is safe.
People in affected zones are instructed to seek higher ground and stay away from coasts and river mouths due to the risk of overflow. Evacuation orders remain in effect until lifted by local governments.
The U.S. government has urged its citizens in Japan to comply with local guidance: “Stay out of the water and away from beaches and waterways, including refraining from activities like swimming, surfing, fishing, and boating. Follow instructions from local officials, which may include closing beaches, evacuating low ground areas, harbors and marinas, or moving ships to deeper water if safe to do so. If you are in the affected areas, move to higher ground and keep away from coasts and river mouths which could overflow. Continue to follow any evacuation orders by local government until all advisories are lifted.”
The alert also recommends staying updated through official channels such as NOAA Weather Radio, Coast Guard emergency frequencies, the Japan Meteorological Agency website (https://www.jma.go.jp/jma/indexe.html), or local news sources.
Tsunami advisories can change as new information becomes available; they may be updated or canceled depending on evolving conditions.
U.S. citizens are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) (https://step.state.gov/) for emergency updates while overseas.
For further updates or information about travel safety abroad visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel.html.