THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
December 11, 2025 at 18:26 JST
HACHINOHE, Aomori Prefecture—An evacuation order has been issued for residents living near a 70-meter-high steel tower here that was damaged in the powerful earthquake that struck off the coast on Dec. 8.
Citing the risk of collapse, the city on Dec. 11 issued an evacuation order for 48 households and some nearby roads have been closed to traffic.
According to NTT East, the steel tower is located on the rooftop of the NTT Aomori Hachinohe Building (approximately 30 meters high) in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, and was built in 1970.
While the company believes that “at this point, the risk of immediate collapse is low,” it estimates repairs will take three weeks.
The company became aware of the damage on Dec. 9, the day after the earthquake, which registered a maximum seismic intensity of upper 6, shook residents late on the evening of Dec. 8.
A drone inspection on Dec. 10 revealed that one of the four pillars supporting the steel tower had fractured at a point approximately 50 meters from the ground.
Additionally, 19 of the roughly 1,000 bolts securing the tower’s steel frame had fallen out.
NTT East said no abnormalities had been found during a routine inspection in September.
On Dec. 9, the Japan Meteorological Agency warned that another major earthquake could strike the region within a week or so.
As there is a possibility the steel tower could collapse if another strong tremor occurs, NTT East has urged residents within a 50-meter radius of the building to evacuate.
The steel tower is equipped with antennas for mobile communications, but the company said that the antennas themselves are functional and there is no impact on communications.
In response to the damage, the city of Hachinohe issued the evacuation order and the infrastructure ministry’s Aomori Office of River and National Highway also closed an approximately 1-kilometer section of the surrounding National Route 45.
Officials said that there is no timeline for when either will be lifted.
The building where the steel tower is located is in a residential area about 800 meters from JR Honhachinohe Station.
On the morning of Dec. 11, five local residents had evacuated to a local community center.
Hiroshi Ogawa, 83, who lives about 50 meters from the building, was one of them.
He said he learned of the tower’s damage on the radio and decided to evacuate, thinking, “There is no guarantee the tower won’t collapse if another big tremor hits.”
Ogawa said, “I can’t believe the steel tower is broken. I want to go home soon.”
(This article was written by Kantaro Katashima and Akihito Ogawa.)
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The damaged steel tower on the NTT Aomori Hachinohe Building in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, includes a support pillar fractured about 50 meters from the ground. (Provided by NTT East Inc.)
