Small tsunami strikes Japan’s remote Izu Islands after 5.9 magnitude earthquake

Japan's remote Izu Islands, south of Tokyo, were hit by a small tsunami on Tuesday, with no immediate reports of damage, following a magnitude-5.9 earthquake near an unpopulated island farther south in the Pacific Ocean.

A tsunami measuring 50 centimeters (1.6 feet) reached Hachijo Island, one of the Izu Islands, approximately 40 minutes after the earthquake, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Public broadcaster NHK reported that no damage from the tsunami or the earthquake has been confirmed.

The meteorological agency previously warned residents of the Izu and Ogasawara Islands to prepare for a tsunami as high as 1 meter (3.3 feet) hitting the coast.

No major tremors were observed since the earthquake occurred undersea near the unpopulated Torishima Island, about 600 kilometers (370 miles) south of Tokyo, the agency added.

The Izu Islands, along with the even more remote Ogasawara Islands farther south, have about a dozen inhabited islands and a combined population of approximately 24,000 as of last year, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which oversees the regions.

Reuters