- A strong earthquake that struck central Japan caused buildings to collapse, tens of thousands of houses to lose electricity, and those living in coastal areas to evacuate for higher ground.
- Larger waves may follow the initial 1 meter (3 foot) waves that the 7.6-magnitude earthquake caused on Monday near South Korea’s border and Japan’s west coast.
- The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued tsunami warnings for the prefectures of Ishikawa, Niigata and Toyama. A major tsunami warning – the first since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan – was initially issued for Ishikawa but later downgraded.
- According to Yoshimasa Hayashi, a spokesman for the Japanese government, the earthquake caused numerous houses to collapse and started fires. Army forces have been sent to assist with rescue efforts while authorities continue to evaluate the damage.
- Despite the difficulty in accessing areas affected by earthquakes owing to blocked roads, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters that he had directed search-and-rescue workers to do everything within their power to preserve lives.