Thirty-four people get harmed following 7.5 earthquake in Japan
Most of the injuries were recorded in the Aomori and Hokkaido prefectures, which sit along a major seismic zone where large quakes frequently occur as the Pacific Plate subducts beneath Honshu, according to a local news agency.
The quake also prompted the suspension of ocean discharge of treated but nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
The magnitude was initially estimated at 7.6 before being revised slightly downward.
Authorities cautioned that another tremor of equal or greater intensity remains possible this week and ordered thousands of residents to prepare for potential evacuation.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said a military base in Hachinohe, the hardest-hit city in Aomori, was opened as an evacuation center, with hundreds already taking shelter there.
For the first time, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a special alert for coastal areas of Hokkaido and the Sanriku coastline, which spans Aomori, Iwate, and Miyagi prefectures.
The quake struck around 11:15 p.m. local time Monday (1415 GMT), triggering tsunami warnings and advisories that were later lifted.
The tremor originated at a depth of 53.1 kilometers (33 miles) off the coast of Aomori.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged residents to stay alert, follow instructions from local authorities, and secure unstable items inside their homes.
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