A man clears the debris from a powerful earthquake at a commercial facility in Hachinohe, Aomori prefecture, northern Japan on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (Ren Onuma/Kyodo News via AP)
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Tuesday, Dec. 9, that there are currently no Filipino casualties in the magnitude 7.5 earthquake that struck off Japan’s northeastern coast.
However, it still reminded Filipinos there to remain alert, follow local authorities, and prepare for possible aftershocks.
It also said that it is closely monitoring the situation in Japan.
“At this time, the Embassy has not received any reports of Filipino casualties. The Embassy and the Migrant Workers Office in Tokyo continue to coordinate with their contacts in the Filipino and local communities to ascertain the condition of our nationals,” the DFA assured.
“The Filipino community is advised to remain alert, observe safety instructions from local authorities, and ensure readiness for possible aftershocks,” it added.
According to the DFA, the earthquake prompted the issuance of a special advisory warning of the possibility of another strong offshore earthquake in the Hokkaido–Sanriku region within the coming week.
Tsunami advisories in the affected areas, however, have since been lifted as of the morning of Dec. 9, the agency added.
The seven prefectures affected are located in northern Japan: Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata, and Fukushima.
The DFA said that as of its latest estimates, the total number of Filipinos in these prefectures are around 13,000.
The agency assured that Filipinos who require assistance or wish to report affected relatives may contact the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo through its emergency hotline (+81 80-4928-7979) and official social media channels.
Foreign media reports at least 30 people were injured by the earthquake on Monday, Dec. 8, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes.
Some train services have also been suspended and thousands of homes have been left without power.