Magnitude 7.6 earthquake rocks coast off northern Japan, government issues tsunami warning

Last Updated: December 8, 2025By Emerald Coast Chronicle

While you may think quakes are a western US problem, some of the largest temblors in US history have happened in the East.

SENDAI, Japan — A magnitude 7.6 earthquake centered in the Pacific Ocean some 45 miles west of Misawa, Japan, shook the northern part of the archipelago around 11:30 p.m. local time, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Magnitude 7.6 earthquake strikes off the coast of Japan.

(FOX Weather / FOX Weather)

Japan’s government issued a tsunami warning covering parts of the eastern coast of Honshu and Hokkiado. Japan’s Meteorological Agency said it expected waves 9 feet in height for some prefectures closest to the epicenter.