Tsunami Warning Issued For Japan's Pacific Coast

(NHK): A tsunami warning of up to 3 meters has been issued along Japan's Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Wakayama.

Officials are calling on people to stay evacuated until all alerts are lifted. Tsunami have been observed over wide areas along the coast, including a 1.3-meter wave at Kuji Port in Iwate Prefecture.

A Japan Meteorological Agency official is urging people in coastal areas, along rivers and other such locations to move to high ground, evacuation buildings and other safe places as tsunami are continuing.

Agency official Kiyomoto Masashi said that a single tsunami can have a very long cycle of about one hour and tsunami can continue to be observed over a long time. He said high tsunami are possible and there is risk of damage.

Kiyomoto said that that there have been big earthquakes in the past in the area of Wednesday's quake. He said based on observations of past tsunami after earthquakes of a similar scale, conditions for high tsunami will remain for about at least more than one day.

He requested that people remain alert as there is the possibility that tide levels could be higher than at present if tsunami occur at high tide.

Kiyomoto also said that people in safe places should avoid leaving them despite the hot weather.

He also requested that people remain alert as there is the possibility that tide levels could be higher than at present if tsunami occur at high tide.

Kiyomoto said people who have evacuated to safety should remain where they are for the time being, despite the hot weather.

Tsunami waves have reached parts of Japan's Pacific coastal regions following a powerful earthquake off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday.

1.3-meter tsunami was recorded at Kuji port in Iwate prefecture, while a 50 centimeter tsunami was observed at Ishinomaki port in Miyagi prefecture.

High waves have also been observed in the Tohoku and Kanto regions. A 30 centimeter wave was recorded at Yokohama port.

Earlier, 30 centimeter waves hit Hanasaki port in Nemuro at 10:30 a.m., Hamanaka town at 10:36 a.m. and Kushiro port at 10:42 a.m. in eastern Hokkaido.