Japan warns of tsunamis after coastal earthquake

The Japan Meteorological Agency recorded a 7.1 magnitude earthquake Thursday morning off the eastern coast of Japan’s southernmost large island Kyushu. Officials issued a tsunami advisory along Kyushu in the Hyuganada Sea and predicted waves as high as three feet tall. Footage showed buildings and cars undulating from the seismic activity. No fatalities or serious injuries were initially reported from the quake.

How bad is the damage? No critical damage to essential infrastructure like power and water has been reported, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told the media. All 12 nuclear reactors near the site of the earthquake are safe, according to the country’s Nuclear Regulation Authority.

Dig deeper: Read Jamie Dean’s report from the WORLD Magazine archives about Japan’s nuclear disaster following an earthquake in 2011.