Magnitude 7.1 earthquake strikes Kumamoto, Japan; tsunami advisory issued and later lifted

The earthquake

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture on Japan's southern island of Kyushu at 4:27 p.m. local time (07:27 GMT) on Tuesday, 28 July 2026. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) located the hypocentre at a depth of 10 kilometres. The tremor reached the maximum level 7 on Japan's shindo seismic intensity scale, which measures ground shaking and destructive potential. Emergency earthquake alerts were issued for seven prefectures across Kyushu: Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga, Ōita and Miyazaki. The epicentre was near the coastal city of Uto in Kumamoto, about 900 kilometres southwest of Tokyo.

Tsunami advisory and response

The JMA issued a tsunami advisory for the Ariake bay area on Kumamoto's western coast, warning that waves of up to one metre could strike. Public broadcaster NHK reported that waves of that height may already have been recorded. However, the agency soon said no tsunami activity had been observed and that it planned to lift the advisory.

This earthquake occurred inland and no tsunami activity has been observed so far. That is why we hope to lift the tsunami advisory relatively early, depending on sea level developments.

The advisory was subsequently lifted. The U.S. National Weather Service also issued a tsunami warning that was later cancelled. A JMA press conference was scheduled for 5:30 p.m. local time to provide further details. No information on casualties or material damage was immediately available.

Nuclear and infrastructure impact

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority confirmed no abnormalities at three nearby nuclear plants. Kyushu Electric Power said three active reactors in the region continued operating normally. The Sendai and Genkai plants were also reported undamaged. However, about 45,060 households and facilities lost power in Kumamoto Prefecture, according to Kyushu Electric Power. High-speed rail and other railway services were suspended.

Eyewitness accounts

An NHK employee in Kumamoto described the shaking as so intense he could not remain standing.

When the earthquake occurred, the shaking was so strong I couldn't stand up. It was really very strong. The shaking continues as I speak. Some people, including me, felt their hearts racing.

The New York Times reported injuries and fires near the epicentre, though no casualty figures were immediately available.

Historical context

Kumamoto was devastated by two earthquakes in 2016: a magnitude 6.5 quake followed two days later by a magnitude 7.3 tremor. Those events killed 273 people and injured more than 2,800. Japan sits at the junction of four major tectonic plates along the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and is one of the world's most seismically active countries. A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck northern Japan on 25 June 2026, causing no deaths or major damage.