TOKYO: Tsunami waves arrived in Okinawa and other parts of Japan on Monday (June 8) after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.8 struck off the southern Philippines, according to Japanese and United States (US) authorities, Kyodo News reported.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said at a press conference that a minor tsunami was observed on Okinawa's main island at around 12.18pm after the agency issued a tsunami advisory for the Pacific coast along the eastern, western and southern parts of the country.
A 20-centimetre tsunami was also observed on Chichijima Island in the Ogasawara Islands in the Pacific, about 1,000km south of central Tokyo, at around 1.46pm.
The agency had earlier alerted the public that a tsunami of up to one metre could reach Miyako Island, the Yaeyama Islands in Okinawa and other areas.
The advisory covered areas stretching from Ibaraki Prefecture near Tokyo to Okinawa, Japan's southernmost prefecture.
The quake struck 26 km southwest of Kablalan in the Philippines at a depth of 55.2km at around 7.38am local time, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
In December 2023, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the same area, according to the USGS.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on social media that she had instructed relevant ministries and agencies to take measures to prevent damage.
More than 195,000 people in 10 prefectures, including Chiba, Kochi and Okinawa, were urged to evacuate at one point, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. - Bernama-Kyodo
