On December 8 at 23:15 local time, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck Japan. The earthquake was originally recorded as a 7.6 magnitude before being revised down to a 7.5 magnitude. The epicenter of the earthquake was just 40 miles from the city of Rokkasho in the Aomori region. Tremors in the nearby city of Hachinohe registered at a level 6, the second highest level in Japan’s 0-7 scale.
Authorities initially issued tsunami warnings for Iwate Prefecture and parts of Hokkaido and Aomori before later downgrading them to advisories, while additional tsunami advisories were issued for Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures.
All advisories were lifted by 06:20 local time on December 9, but a special advisory warning for potential further earthquakes and tsunamis has been issued in the Hokkaido and Sanriku coastal areas through December 15.
Initial quake leads to aftershocks, evacuations, and infrastructure damage in northern Japan
Following the initial earthquake on December 8, ten aftershocks ranging in magnitude 5.0 to 6.6 were recorded. The earthquake led to 50 people being injured in Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate prefectures due mainly to falling objects. At least 90,000 people were temporarily evacuated by authorities due to concerns of subsequent tsunamis. The maximum recorded tsunami height was 70 centimeters (nearly 27.5 inches) and occurred in Iwate prefecture.
Infrastructure impacts from the event have been minimal, with no major roadway or building damages reported. Energy authorities initially reported large scale power outages before later confirming that nuclear power plants remained operational, and outages were limited to a few thousand customers. On December 9, the tremor led to the suspension of nuclear‑waste discharge from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Ōkuma, Fukushima, Japan.
The earthquake temporarily disrupted flights at Tokyo Haneda International Airport (IATA: HND), with 29 departures canceled and 203 flights delayed. Tokyo Haneda is one of the busiest airports in the world, handling over 85 million annual passengers and serves as the hub for both Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways. Operations later stabilized on December 10.
Industrial disruptions reported following earthquake
Although the earthquake initially raised concerns about production disruptions at industrial facilities in Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate, operational impacts have been minimal.
Toyota Motor East Japan briefly halted production at its factory in Miyagi, Japan. However, production was quickly resumed after authorities confirmed that the facility did not sustain damage.
Production was halted at the Seiko Epson Corporation plant in Chitose City, which manufactures LCD panels and projector parts, and at the zinc smelter operated by Hachinohe Smelting Co., Ltd in Hachinohe City due to damage caused by the earthquake. It is unknown when production is likely to resume at either facility.
While major semiconductor manufacturing facilities operate in the impacted regions, companies including Tokyo Electron, Kioxia HD, and Rapidus confirmed that production was not halted at their sites in Miyagi Prefecture, Iwate Prefecture, and Chitose City, respectively. Toshiba and Japan Semiconductor Corporation have not publicly confirmed if their sites in Iwate Prefecture and Kitakami City were affected.
Everstream clients are receiving more detailed insights and recommendations about this risk.
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