Latest Earthquake in Japan: All About the Latest and the Largest in December 2025

According to the report from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), around 170 earthquakes shook the country throughout December 2025. Moreover, about 70 of them hit the country at a magnitude of 4 or greater. Many of them are also the aftershocks of the largest and latest earthquake in Japan.

Japan experiences high seismic activity throughout the year. Thus, earthquakes shook this country almost every day. Sometimes, multiple earthquakes hit this country in a day. Fortunately, Japan has the best earthquake and tsunami warning systems to alert people.

The Latest Earthquake in Japan: The Largest and Most Notable

In December 2025, not a day in Japan went by without a seismic tremor. However, not all these earthquakes are strong enough to be felt. Among the earthquakes that hit this region that month, the one that shook the offshore Aomori is the most powerful. 

1. Time and Location

The Aomori earthquake occurred on December 8, 2025, at 11.15 p.m. local time. The epicenter of this earthquake was 53 km under the ocean, specifically 80 km northeast of Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture.

2. The Cause and  Magnitude

The recent earthquake activity Japan is the result of thrust faulting at the boundary of the Pacific and the Eurasian plates. The earthquake happened when the Pacific plate was subducting under the Okhotsk microplate. 

This seismic activity generated a 7.6-magnitude earthquake off the Aomori coast. It caused the people in Hachinohe to experience a tremor with an intensity of Shindo 6+. Meanwhile, other regions in Aomori, Hokkaido, and Iwate experienced an earthquake with lower intensity.

3. Did The Earthquake Generate a Tsunami?

The latest big earthquake in Japan caused JMA to issue a tsunami warning of up to 3 m high for people on the coasts of Aomori, Iwate, and Hokkaido. The authorities also ordered approximately 90,000 people to evacuate to higher ground.

Moreover, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center predicted that the tsunami from this latest earthquake in Japan may affect the 1,000km-long Pacific coast along Japan and Russia. Thankfully, the tsunami waves were not huge or destructive. 

In Japan, the waves ranged between 40 and 70 cm. The first wave of this tsunami reached Japan's coastal areas about half an hour after the main earthquake. Japan’s authorities lifted the tsunami advisory at 6.20 am on December 9.

The Impact of the Aomori Earthquake and Tsunami

The latest earthquake and tsunami in Japan had a moderate impact on coastal areas in Iwate, Hokkaido, and Aomori. Authorities reported that this geological hazard injured 50 people. Most victims suffered from minor injuries due to falling objects or losing their balance during the earthquake. 

However, no fatalities were reported following this disaster. Unfortunately, the 7.6 magnitude earthquake damaged approximately 2,300 buildings in Aomori and Hokkaido. Due to the large number of damaged buildings, authorities suspended class activities in over 300 schools across several prefectures. 

Authorities conducted safety inspections on these schools before opening them. This seismic activity also affected the utility services. About 2,700 houses in Aomori experienced an electricity outage after the earthquake. This earthquake also disrupted water service in over 1,300 houses. 

Moreover, this geological disaster affected the Tohoku Shinkansen. Authorities decided to suspend this Shinkansen service to ensure the safety of the service. This disruption affected approximately 17,000 passengers. In the afternoon of December 9, the Tohoku Shinkansen resumed its normal service.

The tsunami also damaged fishing equipment and oyster rafts along the affected coastal regions. Thankfully, the earthquake and tsunami did not cause abnormalities in nearby nuclear plants.

The Aftershocks of the Aomori Earthquake

Many aftershocks followed the Aomori earthquake. Over 30 of them have a magnitude of 4 or greater. About 14 hours after the main tremor, authorities recorded more than 10 aftershocks. Their magnitude ranged from 3.6 to 6.4.

Authorities also recorded that the aftershocks continued until the end of December. The high frequency of the aftershocks caused authorities to issue a warning of a 1% mega earthquake following the Aomori quake. Below are the most powerful aftershocks of this earthquake.

1. December 9 Aftershock

Within 24 hours, several significant aftershocks hit the Aomori coasts. Three of them have a magnitude of more than 5. The biggest tremor of that day shook the Aomori coast at a magnitude of 6.6 at 7.52 am.  

2. December 12 Aftershock

On December 12, a 6.9 magnitude aftershock hit the Aomori coast at 11.44 am. This shallow earthquake triggered a tsunami advisory. It means the waves may reach up to 1 m.

The biggest and latest earthquake in Japan was the 7.6 magnitude Aomori earthquake. This tremor has generated a tsunami and intense aftershocks. However, Japan has an excellent earthquake and tsunami warning system to mitigate this hazard. Other countries can have a similar warning system if they adopt cell broadcast technology from smsbroadcaster.com.