A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 struck southern Japan on Monday night, causing tsunami advisories to be issued for several prefectures. However, authorities have ruled out the possibility of a megaquake in the Nankai Trough region.
The quake occurred at 9:19 p.m. local time and was located near the Kyushu region, where the Philippine Sea Plate is slipping under the Eurasia Plate. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said the earthquake did not meet the criteria for a megaquake warning, which was triggered by a magnitude-7.1 quake in August.
Tsunami advisories were issued for Miyazaki and Kochi prefectures due to waves reaching up to 3.3 feet in height. A 20-centimeter tsunami was recorded in Miyazaki city, but all advisories have since been lifted.
The Ikata Nuclear Power Plant in western Japan and the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant in Kagoshima prefecture were found to be operating normally. The JMA has assured that there are no abnormalities in seismic activity near these plants.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/magnitude-66-earthquake-strikes-kyushu-japan-emsc-says-2025-01-13