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A POWERFUL earthquake measuring 6.2 magnitude struck southern Hokkaido early Monday, intensifying concerns over seismic instability in Japan following a string of recent tremors.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the quake occurred shortly before 5:30am(Japan Timet) at a depth of 83 kilometres. It registered an upper 5 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale in Urahoro and a lower 5 in Niikappu, indicating strong shaking in parts of the island.
No tsunami warning was issued, and the United States Geological Survey assessed that the risk to life and property was limited, partly due to the relatively sparse population in the affected area, located about 200 kilometres east of Sapporo.
However, officials warned of secondary hazards. “In areas that experienced strong shaking, the danger of falling rocks and landslides has increased,” a JMA official said.
The Japan Times cited that the latest quake comes less than a week after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off Iwate Prefecture, prompting the JMA to issue a rare special advisory warning of an elevated risk of a megaquake exceeding magnitude 8.0.
That earlier tremor injured six people, shook buildings as far away as Tokyo and triggered tsunami waves of up to 80 centimetres along parts of the northern coastline.
The advisory, which covers 182 municipalities from Hokkaido to Chiba Prefecture, was due to expire later on Monday, though authorities cautioned that seismic risks would persist beyond its formal end.
Japan remains one of the most earthquake-prone nations in the world, situated along the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where several major tectonic plates converge.
The country experiences roughly 1,500 earthquakes annually, accounting for nearly a fifth of global seismic activity.
The continued vigilance reflects the enduring trauma of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, a magnitude 9.0 undersea quake that triggered a catastrophic tsunami, leaving around 18,500 people dead or missing and causing a nuclear disaster at Fukushima. - April 27, 2026