Japan lifts earthquake advisory after week of seismic activity

Japan lifted an advisory warning of an increased risk of another strong earthquake a week after a magnitude 7.5 tremor struck off the country's northeastern coast, local media reported Tuesday.

The advisory was lifted shortly after midnight Monday, and residents are no longer being asked to remain on standby for immediate evacuation, Kyodo News reported.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) had issued the advisory for the first time, covering 182 municipalities across seven prefectures from Hokkaido to Chiba, east of Tokyo, after detecting heightened seismic risks.

Although no megaquake occurred during the advisory period, the agency recorded 40 earthquakes of intensity 1 or higher by Monday afternoon.

Authorities, however, urged the public to continue disaster-preparedness measures, including stockpiling food, water and emergency supplies.

The powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Aomori Prefecture on Dec. 8 at a depth of 54 kilometers, triggering tsunami warnings for parts of Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate prefectures.

According to government data, 46 people were injured and more than 9,000 residents evacuated as a precaution.