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Disturbing videos from Japan show the aftermath of a powerful earthquake off the country’s northern coast, leaving at least 30 people injured on Monday.
A video from inside a newsroom is going viral on social media, capturing walls shaking violently. The 1-minute-54-second clip, reportedly from ABA Aomori Asahi Broadcasting’s Hachinohe city branch, shows papers flying off desks and equipment barely staying in place during tremors initially reported at magnitude 7.6. Watch the footage here:
Japan: The moment the M7.6 earthquake hit Hachinohe City - captured from the Aomori Asahi Broadcasting Hachinohe branch office 👀pic.twitter.com/ppJdYIxwoo
— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) December 8, 2025
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) later downgraded the tremors to magnitude 7.5, but the quake still damaged roads, left thousands without power in freezing temperatures and prompted a tsunami warning.
According to the JMA, the earthquake at 11:15 PM on Monday (1415 GMT) raised the risk of similar or stronger tremors in the coming days.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed that 30 people were injured in the earthquake off Aomori’s coast, which also triggered tsunami waves reaching up to 70 centimetres (28 inches). Among the injured, one person sustained serious injuries on Hokkaido, the main northern island, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
Footage showed deep cracks in the roads, with at least one car trapped in a hole and shattered glass from windows scattered across streets and sidewalks.
Initial reports suggested multiple fires, but government spokesman Minoru Kihara confirmed on Tuesday that only one blaze occurred, at a house.
Emergency services said about 28,000 people were advised to evacuate their homes after the quake, with media reports indicating that some temporary shelters were already full. In the freezing temperatures, around 2,700 homes in Aomori initially lost power, but that number dropped to fewer than 40 within a few hours, according to Kyodo News.
Why the Advisory Was Issued
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reports that the recent quake overlaps with the assumed source zones for giant earthquakes. Using fault-length calculations based on the earthquake’s Moment Magnitude (Mw 7.4), experts determined that stress changes now extend from offshore Nemuro (Hokkaido) to offshore Sanriku (Tōhoku) — an area historically associated with some of Japan’s largest seismic disasters.
Past data shows that alarge subsequent earthquake (Mw 7.8+) within 7 days after an Mw 7.0+ event has occurred about once per 100 cases. Examples include the 2011 Tōhoku disaster, where a Mw 7.3 quake was followed two days later by the Mw 9.0 megaquake.
The advisory notes that while the probability has increased relative to normal periods, it does not guarantee that a major follow-up earthquake will occur.
