Japan Issues Tsunami Warning for the First Time in Over 5 Years... Underwater Volcano Eruption Near Tonga

On the 15th, a submarine volcano erupted in the sea near the Pacific island nation of Tonga, captured by a satellite.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] A tsunami warning has been issued in Japan for the first time in over five years. This is due to an underwater volcanic eruption near Tonga in the South Pacific.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a warning at 12:15 a.m. on the 16th, stating that a tsunami up to 3 meters high could be observed on some islands in southwestern Japan. Tsunamis have been observed along various parts of the southeastern coast of Japan, and authorities are on high alert fearing casualties.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, a tsunami up to 3 meters high is expected to hit the Amami Islands and Tokara Islands located between Okinawa and Kyushu Island.

The agency also issued a tsunami advisory for other coastal areas facing the Pacific Ocean from Hokkaido to Okinawa. Later, at 2:54 a.m. on the 16th, the tsunami advisory issued for Iwate Prefecture in northeastern Honshu was upgraded to a tsunami warning (expected height 3 meters).

According to NHK, a 1.2-meter-high tsunami was confirmed at Kominato in Amami City at 11:55 p.m. the previous day. Amami City urged all residents to evacuate to higher ground.

At Kuji Port in Iwate Prefecture, a 1.1-meter tsunami was observed at 2:26 a.m., and water levels are rising.

In Kushimoto Town, southern Wakayama Prefecture on Honshu, a 90 cm tsunami was observed, and tsunamis under 1 meter were confirmed in various locations.

The Japanese Prime Minister’s Office has set up a contact room at the Crisis Management Center to prepare for the tsunami.

According to Kyodo News, this is the first time in over five years that a tsunami warning has been issued in Japan since November 2016, when a magnitude 7.4 earthquake occurred off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture, prompting warnings for Fukushima and Miyagi Prefectures.

NHK and major private broadcasters have switched to special reporting mode to relay the tsunami’s arrival status and urged coastal residents to evacuate to safe locations.

An underwater volcano erupted near the island nation of Tonga in the South Pacific at around 1:10 p.m. Korean time on the 15th. In Japan, a tsunami 1 to 4 meters high arrived about a day after the 1960 Chile earthquake, resulting in about 140 casualties.