Magnitude 7.1 earthquake strikes southwest Japan, tsunami alert issued

The Japan Meteorological Agency JMA reported that the tremor also registered the maximum level 7 on Japan's "shindo" intensity scale, which measures how strongly earthquakes are felt. A tsunami up to one meter high was predicted to arrive around 5:00 PM local time 8:00 AM GMT, with public broadcaster NHK indicating that waves of this height may have already been recorded. The Japanese Nuclear Regulation Authority confirmed no immediate abnormalities at nuclear power plants in the region.

Kyushu Electric Power reported that approximately 45,060 homes and facilities in Kumamoto prefecture were without electricity, though the three nuclear reactors in the region continued to operate normally. An NHK employee in Kumamoto described the shaking as so strong they could not stand. Kumamoto was previously hit by two devastating earthquakes in 2016, a 6.5 magnitude tremor followed by a 7.3 magnitude one two days later, which resulted in 273 deaths and over 2,800 injuries.

Japan is highly susceptible to earthquakes, being located at the junction of four major tectonic plates along the Pacific "Ring of Fire." The country experiences hundreds of tremors annually, accounting for about 18% of global earthquakes. While most are low intensity, their impact varies based on location and depth.

The nation still remembers the 2011 9.0 magnitude underwater earthquake and subsequent tsunami