On Monday evening, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck in the Pacific Ocean off Iwate prefecture, Japan, at 4:53 PM local time. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a tsunami warning, predicting waves of up to three meters (10 feet). Tsunami waves were already observed along parts of the coast, and residents were urged to evacuate to higher ground immediately. Bullet train services between Tokyo and Aomori were suspended as a precaution. The prime minister's office has activated a crisis management team to handle the situation. Japan is particularly susceptible to seismic activity due to its location along the Pacific 'Ring of Fire,' experiencing around 1,500 earthquakes annually, which account for nearly 18 percent of global seismic activity. The catastrophic 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which resulted in over 18,500 deaths and a nuclear disaster at Fukushima, underscores the ongoing risks associated with such natural disasters.