TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck offshore Sanriku, Japan, at 3:53 p.m. Monday (April 20), triggering a tsunami warning across the region. Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (外交部) contacted the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association (日本台灣交流協會台北事務所) in Taipei to offer condolences and assistance to those affected by the disaster.
The ministry directed the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan (駐日本代表處) and its Sapporo branch to assess the disaster and determine whether any Taiwanese nationals were affected. Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae (高市早苗) urged coastal residents to evacuate to higher ground or safe buildings. Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara Minoru (木原稔) said at an emergency press conference that nuclear power facilities showed no abnormalities.
NHK (日本放送協会), Japan's public broadcaster, and other media outlets reported disruptions, including halted Shinkansen services and power outages in some areas. The Japan Meteorological Agency (日本氣象廳) warned that the probability of a magnitude 8 or higher earthquake in the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench and Japan Trench areas within the next week was 10 times higher than usual. The agency urged residents to stay alert.
Kuo Kai-wen (郭鎧紋), former director of the Seismological Center at Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA, 中央氣象署), said this earthquake shared similarities with the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. The epicenter was farther north, indicating a northward progression. He said this quake posed no direct threat to Taiwan but cautioned that a magnitude 8 or higher earthquake in the central or southern Ryukyu Trench required heightened vigilance.
Historical records showed that a magnitude 7.0 earthquake near Etorofu Island in the Kuril Trench in 1963 preceded a magnitude 8.5 earthquake within 18 hours. A magnitude 7.3 earthquake off Sanriku on March 9, 2011, was followed by the magnitude 9.0 Tohoku earthquake two days later, which killed nearly 20,000 people.
The ministry has instructed its offices in Japan to contact local Taiwanese associations and students, urging them to stay safe. Taiwanese nationals in Japan facing emergencies can contact emergency assistance at +81-80-1009-7179 or +81-80-1009-7436 for the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan. The Sapporo branch can be reached at +81-80-1460-2568. ◼