The Japan Meteorological Agency lifted all tsunami advisories for the country's coastal areas on April 20, 2026 [1].

While the immediate threat of a destructive tsunami has passed, officials warn that the ocean remains unstable. This lingering volatility can create dangerous conditions for swimmers, divers, and maritime workers even after official warnings are canceled.

The advisories had been issued for a wide range of coastal regions, stretching from the Ise Bay and Ibaraki Prefecture down to Okinawa, including the islands of Tokyo and Miyazaki Port [1, 4]. The agency determined that the tsunami scale resulting from the earthquake near the Philippines was small enough to fall below warning thresholds [1, 2].

There are conflicting reports regarding the exact timing of the cancellation. One report said the advisories were lifted shortly before 5 p.m. [1], while another report cited the time as 11:45 p.m. [2].

Despite the lifting of the alerts, the Japan Meteorological Agency warned that sea levels may continue to fluctuate by approximately 20 centimeters [1] for about one day [3].

Ryuki Ebita, the director of the Earthquake and Tsunami Monitoring Division at the Japan Meteorological Agency, urged caution for those interacting with the water.

"Tsunami advisories have been lifted, but the state of sea level fluctuation continues for a long time," Ebita said [1]. "If you happen to enter the sea, please perform your work after exercising sufficient caution" [1].

Local authorities continue to monitor the situation as the ocean stabilizes following the distant seismic activity [1].

“Tsunami advisories have been lifted, but the state of sea level fluctuation continues for a long time.”

The lifting of advisories indicates that the primary risk of a large-scale wave has subsided, but the warning about 20-centimeter fluctuations highlights the nature of 'distant' tsunamis. Unlike local quakes that cause immediate surges, distant events can create prolonged, erratic sea-level changes that pose risks to coastal activities long after the initial event.