Japanese authorities issued a rare warning of a possible “major earthquake” within the coming week after a magnitude-7.5 quake struck northern regions on Monday evening, triggering tsunami alerts.

The warning comes as the winter tourism season begins in Hokkaido amid a surge in visitors to ski resorts.

This is the first alert of its kind since Japan adopted the new classification system in 2022.

Seismological teams continue to monitor underground activity and urge residents to take preventive precautions.