Japan is bracing itself after a powerful earthquake off the coast of Aomori prompted officials to issue a rare advisory warning of a megaquake. The strong tremor itself caused limited damage, but the alert has stirred memories of the catastrophic 2011 disaster and promoted authorities to urge residents to take preparedness seriously.

It was not a forecast but a reminder of how quickly seismic conditions in northern Japan can shift. And with the region perched on some of the world’s most volatile tectonic boundaries, even a moderate quake can temporarily raise the odds of something far worse.

Elevated Seismic Risk in Northern Japan

The recent magnitude 7.5 quake had increased concerns along the Hokkaido–Sanriku coast, an area shaped by the descent of the Pacific Plate beneath Japan. The

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