Japan warns of tsunami waves up to 3m after quake off Russian coast

A TSUNAMI warning of up to three meters has been issued along Japan's Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Wakayama. This comes after an intense earthquake struck east of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia.

Broadcaster NHK said evacuation orders had been issued by the government for some areas.

There were no injuries reported after the strongest earthquake "in decades" off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, but evacuation was ordered for a small town in the Sakhalin region after a tsunami warning, regional governors said.

University of Tokyo seismologist Shinichi Sakai explained that even distant shallow earthquakes can generate tsunamis that reach Japan.

Japan, also situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, is among the most earthquake-prone countries globally.

A tsunami with a wave height of up to 4m was recorded in parts of Russia's Kamchatka region after the earthquake, officials said.

"Today's earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors," Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov said in a video posted on the Telegram messaging app. – July 30, 2025