Surveillance footage captured shaking across cities in northeast Japan late Monday night, Dec. 8, 2025, after a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck offshore. Tsunami warnings were issued for Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate, with waves up to three metres (10 feet) possible along the coast. Authorities reported initial tsunamis of 40 cm (16 inches) at Aomori’s Mutsu Ogawara and Hokkaido’s Urakawa ports, urging residents to evacuate as a precaution. Courtesy: NNN / Japan via Reuters | GMA News

The 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami was one of the most powerful and devastating natural disasters in modern history. On March 11, 2011, a massive magnitude 9.0 undersea earthquake struck off the Pacific coast of Japan’s Tohoku region, about 70 kilometers east of the Oshika Peninsula. The quake triggered a colossal tsunami, with waves reaching heights of up to 40 meters (130 feet) in some areas, sweeping across coastal towns and cities within minutes. Entire communities were destroyed, infras