THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
January 1, 2024 at 20:36 JST
The seismic intensity level recorded in each area as of 4:10 p.m. on Jan. 1 (Japan Meteorological Agency)
A powerful earthquake rocked the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture at around 4:10 p.m. on Jan. 1, forcing families celebrating New Year's Day to take cover and many to evacuate amid urgent tsunami warnings in western Japan.
The intensity of the quake was estimated at 7.6 on the Japanese intensity scale of 7, with the epicenter at a very shallow depth.
The earthquake registered a maximum 7 in Shika, Ishikawa Prefecture. Quakes with an intensity of upper 6 were reported in Nanao, Wajima, Suzu and Anamizu in Ishikawa Prefecture.
Quakes registering a lower 6 were reported in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, Nakanoto and Noto, Ishikawa Prefecture.
Quakes measuring an upper 5 were reported in many areas in Ishikawa, Toyama and Niigata prefectures.
The highest major tsunami warning was issued for Noto while tsunami warnings were posted for Yamagata, Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui and Hyogo prefectures, and tsunami advisories for wide areas along the Sea of Japan coast.
By 5:30 p.m. on New Year's Day, a tsunami of 120 cm was observed in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, along with an 80-cm tsunami in Toyama and a 50-cm tsunami in Kanazawa in the prefecture, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Other tsunami included ones of 40 cm were reported in Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture, and 30 cm each in Fukaura, Aomori Prefecture, Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture, Sado, Niigata Prefecture, Toyooka, Hyogo Prefecture, and Okinoshima, Shimane Prefecture.
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