A tsunami advisory was issued after a 6.8 earthquake struck southwest Japan. Originally, the earthquake was suspected to be 6.9, but it was later revised down. The earthquake hit at 9:19 pm on January 13, 2025 local time in Japan.

No major injuries were reported, however a man was slightly injured after tumbling down a staircase amidst the quake. 

NHK TV reported that trains had stopped running and many passengers got stranded at stations. Tsunami warnings were put out for Miyazaki prefecture, where the center of the quake was reported. It also went out to surrounding areas, such as Kochi prefecture and Shikoku island. 

Within half an hour of the earthquake, a tsunami, estimated to be 3.2 feet tall, hit land. Waters at the Miyazaki port were recorded to be 8 inches high. The JMA urged citizens to stay away from coastal areas and waters as “tsunamis can strike repeatedly”. They also warned of potential landslides.

The U.S Geological Survey released that the United States is not in any danger of tsunamis from the quake.

Japan tends to get lots of earthquakes throughout the years from being located on the “Ring of Fire”, a ring around the world where the tectonic plates can shift more easily, releasing energies that can more often cause earthquakes and tsunamis. Places located here are, therefore, at higher risk of suffering from these devastating events. 

Japan does attempt to be prepared for such events, they have strict regulations to build buildings so they don’t fall as easily. 

Nevertheless, on January 1st, an earthquake hit Japan causing 240 people to lose their lives. This wasn’t even the worst of them, in March 2011 a massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck underwater, it caused an extremely dangerous tsunami that left 18,500 people dead or missing. The country has been deeply scarred since. 

Fortunately, this one, although bad, seemed to be controlled and avoided any casualties.