In a dramatic turn of events, Japan's central region was rocked by a series of earthquakes on January 1st, triggering not only widespread infrastructure damage but also fires and a tsunami alert, subsequently downgraded. The main shock, a powerful 7.6 magnitude tremor off the coast of the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, was felt strongly in Tokyo and across the Kanto region. In the aftermath, the nation grappled with the chaos of disrupted services and the fear of aftershocks.
The series of quakes, occurring between 16:06 and 16:10 local time, has caused significant distress. Health officials in Kaga City reported major road cracks and power outages, complicating emergency responses and patient care. Two individuals in Nanao City were reported to be in cardiopulmonary arrest, as per NHK citing police department news. The quakes also resulted in numerous fires, particularly in the Kawai-machi area of Wajima City, where firefighters battled widespread blazes.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addressed the nation, stating that the government was actively assessing the damage and coordinating rescue efforts. A thousand Self-Defense Force members were deployed for rescue operations, with an additional 8,500 on standby. Around 20 aircraft were dispatched for information gathering and aid.
The Japan Meteorological Agency initially issued a tsunami warning, predicting waves up to 5 meters high in the Noto region and up to 3 meters in Niigata and Toyama Prefectures' western coastal areas. Waves over one meter reportedly reached the coast of Wajima City. However, at 20:30 local time, the warning was downgraded to an alert. The situation was a stark reminder of the "3.11" earthquake in 2011, which also triggered a devastating tsunami and nuclear disaster.
In the wake of the quake, Japan's nuclear industry, which has been under intense scrutiny since the 2011 disaster, reported no abnormalities at regional nuclear power plants. This included the recently cleared Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant, the world's largest, which had been banned from operating since April 2021 due to security concerns.
As Japan sits on the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, such earthquakes are a stark reminder of the nation's vulnerability. The recent tremors, coming at a time of political unease and infrastructural challenges, underline the continuous need for preparedness and resilience in the face of natural disasters.
