A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Japan's Kyushu island on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at 4:27 p.
m. local time.
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Authorities issued tsunami alerts along the southern coastlines.
The Japan Meteorological Agency reported the epicenter in Kumamoto prefecture at a depth of 10 kilometers.
The quake registered at the highest level on Japan's Shindo scale in some areas.
Meteorologists warned of potential tsunami waves up to one meter high. Public broadcaster NHK reported that initial waves may have already reached local shores.
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Power utility Kyushu Electric Power said approximately 40,000 homes lost electricity. Nuclear facilities at Sendai and Genkai showed no irregularities.
Railway operator JR Kyushu halted all train operations, including Shinkansen bullet trains, for safety inspections.
Tech giant Sony and chipmaker TSMC initiated emergency status reviews at their semiconductor facilities in the region.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu confirmed no tsunami threat to Hawaii or American Samoa.
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This is the second major quake in Japan in 2026, following a 7.7-magnitude event in northern Japan on April 20.
