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Japan: Tsunami advisory lifted after earthquake

September 24, 2024

After a strong earthquake, Japan issued a tsunami advisory for the remote Izu and Ogasawara Islands some 600 kilometers south of Tokyo. The country has since lifted the warning.

https://p.dw.com/p/4kztI
Chichi-jima Island of Ogasawara archipelago, a remote part of Tokyo
Ogasawara Islands, dubbed "the Galapagos of the East" for their unique ecosystem with various indigenous species, are designated as a UNESCO natural World Heritage siteImage: Kaname Yoneyama/The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images/picture alliance

Japan on Tuesday lifted a tsunami advisory for some remote islands after making the warning hours earlier following a strong earthquake.

Earlier, Japan issued a tsunami advisory for residents of the Izu and Ogasawara Islands after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 struck in the Pacific Ocean near the uninhabited island of Torishima.

No major tremor was observed, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said after the quake struck along the island chain in the ocean around 600 kilometers (370 miles) south of Tokyo. 

There were no reports of any serious damage.

The Pacific Ring of Fire

Four tectonic plates

According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which oversees the regions, the Izu Islands and the even more remote Ogasawara Islands to the south have about a dozen inhabited islands and a combined population of about 24,000 as of last year.

Japan sits on four major tectonic plates. It experiences about 1,500 earthquakes a year, most of them minor.

However, thanks to advanced building techniques and well-practiced emergency procedures, the effects of even major quakes are usually contained.

Quake survivors in Japan shelters face threat of disease

dh/jsi (AP, AFP, Reuters)