A tsunami advisory was also issued for parts of Alaska and the entire West Coast after a powerful earthquake off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula.

Tsunami waves arrived on the eastern coast of Japan following a powerful 8.8. magnitude earthquake off the eastern coast of Russia that also sparked fears of a tsunami in the U.S.

One of the world's strongest earthquakes struck Russia's Far East early Wednesday, an 8.8-magnitude temblor that caused tsunami waves in Japan and Alaska and prompted warnings for Hawaii, North and Central America and Pacific islands south toward New Zealand.