Small tsunami waves reach Japan after Chile quake, warnings still in place

Tsunami measured as high as 30 centimeters was observed on Friday in Kuji in Japan's northeast prefecture of Iwate after a powerful quake hit off Chile on Wednesday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

Initial warnings from the JMA were for waves of up to 1 meter and currently smaller waves were initially observed along the Japanese Pacific coast, with waves around 10 centimeters reaching the northeast and eastern parts of Japan in the early hours on Friday.

But while tsunami warnings are still in place for wide swathes of coastal regions following the 8.3-magnitude earthquake on Wednesday evening (local time) off Chile, which has killed at least 11 people, there have been no reports of injury or damage in Japan, the weather agency said.

Yohei Hasegawa, director of the JMA's Earthquake and Tsunami Observation Division, said Friday that the waves reached northern Japan first and were moving toward the southwest, adding that in light of the agency expecting the swelling of the waves to continue for a while and possibly reaching heights of up to 1 meter, residents in coastal areas have been warned to be vigilant.

He said the first waves that reach the coast of Japan may not necessarily be the biggest.

Japan is no stranger to tsunamis from Chilean quakes hitting its shores. In 1960, following a 9.5-magnitude quake a tsunami of up to 4 meters struck the northern coast of Japan, leaving around 140 people dead. Endi