A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off the northeast coast of Japan on June 25, 2026, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The quake’s epicentre was off Iwate prefecture at a depth of about 50 km, and authorities said no tsunami warning was issued and no significant tsunami damage was expected beyond minor sea level changes.
The hardest-hit area was Aomori prefecture, which recorded an intensity of upper-6 on Japan’s 0–7 seismic scale — a level at which it is very difficult to remain standing or move without crawling. Despite the strong shaking, there were no immediate reports of injuries.
The national government has set up an emergency team to collect information and stands ready to carry out disaster relief operations, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters. Rail operator East Japan Railway halted some services, including Tohoku Shinkansen high-speed trains, and several expressway routes in Aomori were closed temporarily for safety inspections.
Utility and nuclear authorities reported no abnormalities. Tohoku Electric Power said its Onagawa plant and the idled Higashidori plant showed no irregularities, and the Nuclear Regulation Authority said nearby facilities run by Tokyo Electric Power and other companies were also operating normally.
Japan is one of the world’s most seismically active countries and experiences frequent strong quakes; it accounts for a significant share of global earthquakes of magnitude 6 and above. The northeast coast was devastated in March 2011 by a magnitude 9 quake and a consequent tsunami that caused widespread destruction and a major nuclear accident — events officials cited when describing ongoing preparedness and inspection steps after Thursday’s tremor.