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\n More than 1.9 million people across Japan have been urged to move to safer ground, as tsunami waves hit various parts of the coast and transport is disrupted nationwide \u2013 though the waves remain much smaller than previously forecast.\n <\/p>\n
\n The Fire and Disaster Management Agency has issued localised evacuation orders affecting 1,905,596 people across 21 prefectures, the largest numbers of evacuees coming from Hokkaido, Kanagawa and Wakayama prefectures.\n <\/p>\n
\n The first waves hit Japan\u2019s northernmost island of Hokkaido, where video shared by Reuters and the Nippon News Network showed people taking shelter on a roof. Tsunami sirens could be heard blaring through parts of the island on Wednesday morning.\n <\/p>\n
\n Tsunami waves measuring about 30 to 50 centimeters are being recorded along the east coast, inching closer to the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, according to data from the Japan Meteorological Agency. That\u2019s far below the initial forecast of up to three meters, though that could change, and additional waves could follow.\n <\/p>\n
\n Transport is also being disrupted, with Sendai international airport \u2013 on the Pacific coast, north of Tokyo \u2013 closing its runway. Ferries running from Hokkaido, Aomori, and Tokyo Bay have also been suspended.\n <\/p>\n