Tsunami waves arrived in Okinawa and other parts of Japan on Monday after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.8 struck off the southern Philippines, according to Japanese and US authorities.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said at a press conference that a minor tsunami was observed in the main island of Okinawa at around 12.18pm (10.18am Thailand time) after the agency issued a tsunami advisory for the Pacific coast along the eastern, western and southern parts of the country.
Also, a 20-centimetre tsunami was observed at Chichijima Island of the Ogasawara Islands in the Pacific, about 1,000 kilometers south of central Tokyo, around 1.46pm.
The agency alerted the public earlier in the day that tsunami of up to 1 meter could reach Miyako Island and the Yaeyama islets in Okinawa and elsewhere.
The advisory covered areas stretching from Ibaraki prefecture near Tokyo to Japan's southernmost island prefecture of Okinawa.
The quake struck 26 km southwest of Kablalan in the Philippines at a depth of 55.2 km at around 7.38am local time, according to the US Geological Survey.
In December 2023, an M7.6 quake hit the area, according to the USGS.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on social media she has instructed relevant ministries and agencies to take measures to prevent damage.
Over 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.
