A strong earthquake yesterday struck off northern Japan, shaking buildings in Tokyo and triggering a tsunami advisory for a part of Japan’s northern coast.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
The US Geological Survey put the strength at magnitude 7.0 and depth at 54km. The shaking started just before 6:10pm.
The quake was centered off the coast of Miyagi Prefecture, which was heavily damaged during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami that left more than 18,000 people dead.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued an advisory for a tsunami of up to 1m for Miyagi immediately after the quake, but lifted it about 90 minutes later.
The tsunami might have reached parts of the Miyagi coast already, Japanese public broadcaster NHK said.
There were no immediate reports of damage.
The temblor caused a temporary blackout in some areas and suspended bullet train services in the area, NHK said.
The Japanese Nuclear Regulation Authority said that no abnormalities have been detected at nuclear power plants in the region, including the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, where core meltdowns occurred after the 2011 quake and tsunami.
Akira Wakimoto, a crisis management official in Miyagi’s Tomo, said he was in his apartment when yesterday’s quake struck, and felt his room shake for a long time.
In the coastal city of Ofunato, Shotaro Suzuki, a hotel employee, said there was a temporary blackout and elevators stopped briefly, but power has been restored and there were no other problems.
“Our guests seemed worried at first, but they have all returned to their rooms, and our facility seems fine,” Suzuki told NHK.
JMA spokesperson Noriko Kamaya told a news conference that the quake is considered an aftershock of the 9.0 magnitude quake in 2011.
Kamaya urged people to use caution and stay away from the coastline due to possible high waves.
EXPRESSING GRATITUDE: Without its Taiwanese partners which are ‘working around the clock,’ Nvidia could not meet AI demand, CEO Jensen Huang said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and US-based artificial intelligence (AI) chip designer Nvidia Corp have partnered with each other on silicon photonics development, Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) said. Speaking with reporters after he met with TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) in Taipei on Friday, Huang said his company was working with the world’s largest contract chipmaker on silicon photonics, but admitted it was unlikely for the cooperation to yield results any time soon, and both sides would need several years to achieve concrete outcomes. To have a stake in the silicon photonics supply chain, TSMC and
SILICON VALLEY HUB: The office would showcase Taiwan’s strengths in semiconductors and artificial intelligence, and help Taiwanese start-ups connect with global opportunities Taiwan has established an office in Palo Alto, one of the principal cities of Silicon Valley in California, aimed at helping Taiwanese technology start-ups gain global visibility, the National Development Council said yesterday. The “Startup Island Taiwan Silicon Valley hub” at No. 299 California Avenue is focused on “supporting start-ups and innovators by providing professional consulting, co-working spaces, and community platforms,” the council said in a post on its Web site. The office is the second overseas start-up hub established by the council, after a similar site was set up in Tokyo in September last year. Representatives from Taiwanese start-ups, local businesses and
‘DETERRENT’: US national security adviser-designate Mike Waltz said that he wants to speed up deliveries of weapons purchased by Taiwan to deter threats from China US president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for US secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, affirmed his commitment to peace in the Taiwan Strait during his confirmation hearing in Washington on Tuesday. Hegseth called China “the most comprehensive and serious challenge to US national security” and said that he would aim to limit Beijing’s expansion in the Indo-Pacific region, Voice of America reported. He would also adhere to long-standing policies to prevent miscalculations, Hegseth added. The US Senate Armed Services Committee hearing was the first for a nominee of Trump’s incoming Cabinet, and questions mostly focused on whether he was fit for the
SHARED VALUES: The US, Taiwan and other allies hope to maintain the cross-strait ‘status quo’ to foster regional prosperity and growth, the former US vice president said Former US vice president Mike Pence yesterday vowed to continue to support US-Taiwan relations, and to defend the security and interests of both countries and the free world. At a meeting with President William Lai (賴清德) at the Presidential Office in Taipei, Pence said that the US and Taiwan enjoy strong and continued friendship based on the shared values of freedom, the rule of law and respect for human rights. Such foundations exceed limitations imposed by geography and culture, said Pence, who is visiting Taiwan for the first time. The US and Taiwan have shared interests, and Americans are increasingly concerned about China’s
RSS