Japan's coastal residents were on high alert after a powerful 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck the nation's northern offshore region on Sunday afternoon. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a tsunami advisory, warning of potential waves up to one meter (three feet) high. The quake, which occurred around 5:03 pm local time, prompted a swift response from authorities, who advised residents to stay clear of coastal areas as waves could arrive immediately. However, national broadcaster NHK confirmed that small offshore tsunami waves had already been observed, while live feeds initially showed the seas to be calm. This seismic activity comes as a stark reminder of the region's vulnerability to offshore quakes, especially after the devastating 9.0-magnitude earthquake and subsequent massive tsunami in 2011, which resulted in approximately 18,500 deaths or missing persons. That disaster also caused meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear plant, marking Japan’s worst crisis since World War II. Japan is one of the world’s most seismically active countries, sitting atop the Pacific "Ring of Fire." The archipelago, home to about 125 million people, experiences roughly 1,500 tremors every year,
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