Just before 11.30am yesterday (New Zealand time), an 8.8 magnitude earthquake shook the eastern coast of Russia.
This led to New Zealand, Japan, Hawaii and other Pacific regions issuing tsunami warnings.
When Japanese exchange students in Dunedin heard the news, they quickly contacted family back home.
Airu Matsunaga, 14, and Jungi Takatsu, 16, came to New Zealand for a week-long exchange at Kaikorai Valley College.
They said they were very surprised to hear the news.
Jungi said he checked in with his family as soon as he heard about the earthquake and tsunami warnings, and his family told him "it was scary".
He said his mother had moved the valuables and computer to the second floor "just in case".
Airu’s mother was in Hokkaido to celebrate her birthday.
However, he found out she had luckily boarded a flight home hours before the earthquake and tsunami.
He said it was hard being in New Zealand and having limited contact with family when natural events such as this were occurring back home.
The pair will be returning to Japan and their hometown, Toyohashi, tomorrow.
Yesterday, a 60cm tsunami hit Hokkaido in northern Japan and other waves measuring about 30cm-50cm have been recorded along the east coast.
Nearly two million people in Japan were urged to move to higher ground.
