Tokyo, 21 April (H.S.):

The Japan Meteorological Agency has sounded an urgent alert for a potential earthquake of 8.0 magnitude or greater, issued just hours after a powerful 7.7-magnitude tremor struck Monday evening.

The initial quake hit at 4:53 PM in the Pacific Ocean off northern Iwate Prefecture, its force rippling through Tokyo's skyscrapers despite being hundreds of kilometers from the epicenter. Local authorities ordered non-mandatory evacuations for over 182,000 coastal residents as an 80-centimeter tsunami wave crashed into Kuji Port roughly 40 minutes later.

Japan Today reports the odds of a megaquake now far exceed normal levels. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara confirmed no major damage or casualties in early assessments, with NHK footage showing intact Iwate harbors. Yet officials warn of powerful aftershocks, especially within the next 2-3 days.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged: Residents in warned areas, move to high, safe ground without delay. Her office scrambles to assess hidden injuries and structural harm.

Japan, home to 125 million atop four colliding tectonic plates along the Pacific Ring of Fire's western edge, records ~1,500 quakes yearly—18% of global total. Impact varies by depth and location, though most prove mild.

The 2011 9.0 Tohoku quake's tsunami killed or left missing ~18,500, devastating Fukushima's nuclear plant. Recent scares include 2024's Nankai Trough alert and December 2025's 7.5 northern tremor injuring over 40 but sparing broader ruin.

Government projections for a Nankai megaquake forecast 298,000 deaths and $2 trillion in losses along the 800-km subduction zone where the Philippine Sea Plate slides beneath the continental shelf. As vigilance peaks, Japan's storied resilience faces its next crucible.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar