At 11:15 p.m. on December 8, 2025, a violent tremor suddenly tore through the freezing night of northern Japan. A magnitude (Mw) 7.4 earthquake occurred off the eastern coast of Aomori Prefecture, registering a maximum intensity of Upper 6 (Shindo 6-strong) in Hachinohe City, Aomori, and severe shaking ranging from Lower 6 to Upper 6 across a wide area from Hokkaido down through Iwate Prefecture.
Drainage pumps at pump stations are for preventing rivers from flooding. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) is drastically changing the way it orders the pumps.