NO Malaysians have been reported seriously affected following a powerful offshore earthquake in northern Japan, despite widespread disruption and tsunami warnings along the country’s northeastern coast.
Wisma Putra said it was closely monitoring developments through the Embassy of Malaysia in Tokyo after the tremor struck off Iwate Prefecture at 4.53pm local time on Monday.
"The Foreign Ministry will continue to monitor the situation and will provide further updates from time to time as more information becomes available," it said in a statement, adding that only minor disruptions involving Malaysians had been reported so far.
The earthquake, measured between magnitude 7.5 and 7.7, prompted Japanese authorities to issue tsunami warnings for coastal areas, with waves of up to three metres initially feared.
Malaysians in Japan, particularly those in affected areas, have been advised to remain vigilant, move immediately to higher ground if near the coast, and comply strictly with evacuation orders and safety instructions issued by Japanese authorities.
Reuters reported on Tuesday that subsequent observations detected waves of around 80 centimetres, leading officials to downgrade the alert to an advisory.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said there were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage as night fell over Tokyo, though assessments were ongoing.
Several coastal towns, including Otsuchi and Kamaishi, issued evacuation orders for thousands of residents. Bullet train services were suspended and sections of motorway closed following the quake.
Japan’s government also warned of an elevated probability of a larger seismic event. Normally, the likelihood of an earthquake of magnitude 8 or higher occurring along the Japan Trench or Kuril Trench within a week stands at about 0.1 per cent, but officials said the risk has risen to around 1 per cent in the aftermath of Monday’s quake.
"Please take anti-disaster steps, while embracing the idea that one must protect one's own life," the government official said.
The tremor registered an “upper 5” on Japan’s seismic intensity scale, strong enough to make movement difficult and to topple unsecured structures.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the quake struck at a depth of around 20 kilometres beneath the Pacific Ocean.
No abnormalities were reported at idled nuclear facilities, easing immediate concerns of a repeat of the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Japan lies along the Ring of Fire, one of the world’s most seismically active zones, and accounts for roughly 20 per cent of global earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or higher. - April 21, 2026
