Japan issued a major tsunami alert for its Pacific coastline Sunday after the massive earthquake in Chile, and ordered more than 10,000 people to evacuate vulnerable areas.

The Japan Meteorological Agency warned that waves of up to three metres (10 feet) could hit the northern areas of Aomori, Iwate and Miyagi, even as fears of destructive waves eased across the rest of the Pacific.

The agency also issued warnings for waves of up to two metres along the entire Pacific coastline of the Japanese archipelago, from the nothern main island of Hokkaido through the southern Okinawa island chain.

First waves could hit the Pacific coast of Hokkaido and the central Izu region of the main island at around 1 pm (0400 GMT), the agency said.

Local officials in northern Japan said more than 10,000 residents had been ordered to evacuate.

"We instructed some 11,300 people living near the coast to evacuate as quickly as possible from the designated dangerous zone," said Shigeru Suzuki, a local official in Sendai City in Miyagi.

"We have not witnessed any panic among residents, but we are trying hard to work on smooth evacuation," the official told AFP.

The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said earlier that the tsunami warning it had put in place after Saturday's 8.8 magnitude in Chile earthquake has been cancelled everywhere except Japan and Russia.

However several nations in the Pacific, including Australia, said their own local tsunami warnings remained in effect after the Chile quake, one of the largest on record.

Saturday's quake in Chile, which killed 214 people, revived raw memories for Japan.

In 1960, when a 9.5 magnitude earthquake in Chile -- the largest on record -- sent major tsunami racing across the Pacific, more than 140 people were killed in Japan.

"Last time, waves that hit after the first one became even more powerful," said Yasuo Sekita, an agency official in charge of monitoring earthquakes and tsunamis, told a news conference.

"We believe it will be the case this time, too," he said. "The agency will keep the tsunami alert for quite a long time."

The agency also warned that the waves could surge higher in the northern coastal area because they are expected around high tide.

Cities in the area were cancelling festivals and closing fishing ports, while Japan's public broadcaster NHK repeatedly warned local residents not to go near beach or a river mouth.

"Those living in the area, please help old people living alone, take their hands and go up to a higher place," one reporter urged.

The Japanese government set up an emergency taskforce at the prime minister's office, top spokesman Hirofumi Hirano said.

"Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama ordered that the government do the best to ensure safety of people," said Hirano, the chief cabinet secretary.

On Saturday, Japan's Okinawa island was hit by its biggest seismic jolt in more than half a century when a powerful earthquake struck, triggering minor tsunamis, but causing only a small amount of damage to housing and minor injuries.

earlier related report
Hawaii spared worst of tsunami scare
Honolulu (AFP) Feb 27, 2010 - Hit hard before, Hawaiians breathed sighs of relief on Saturday after a tsunami triggered by Chile's massive earthquake led to the evacuation of thousands of people but caused little damage.

President Barack Obama's native state sounded tsunami sirens for the first time in 16 years from early in the morning, with authorities flying small planes to remote areas to warn coastal residents of danger to come.

The waves came ashore some 15 hours after the 8.8-magnitude earthquake rocked Chile. Viewers across the United States watched live on television as it broadcast from Hawaii's sun-kissed beaches.

The highest tsunami registered 0.98 meters (three feet, two inches) at Kahului on the island of Maui.

"Smaller than we thought," said Cheryl Piel of Calgary, Canada, who canceled a trip to Maui because of the tsunami. "Just glad nobody was hurt."

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had warned that seismic waves could hit for hours to come, but it called off its alert at 1:38 pm (2338 GMT) after deciding that the worst was over.

Nathan Becker, an oceanographer at the center, said that while there were no reports of injuries or damage, it was probably the largest tsunami to hit Hawaii since 1975.

Authorities had issued evacuation orders to some 144,000 people in coastal areas, mostly on Oahu.

Jill Nakasone, who takes care of her in-laws who are in their 90s, said the warnings rekindled memories of tsunamis decades ago.

"It's hard on the old people," she said. "They're really nervous."

Ahead of the tsunami, long queues formed outside gas stations along the busy Kalanianaole Highway on Oahu. In Hilo, residents left for higher ground and packed into grocery stores where shelves of bottled water were emptied.

"Nothing fresh," said Chris Phan of Kaimuki as he stopped in to buy batteries, water and cup noodles. "Something that can hold us for a couple days."

Kealas Killion, a produce worker, said the lines started at about 2:00 am and the water shelves were cleared within four hours as employees worked frantically to restock the shelves.

"I don't even bother stacking it on the shelf," he said.

Before the evacuation, some residents walked their dogs next to Kapiolani Park by Waikiki beach to calm them down.

Residents in Maui were urged to avoid flushing toilets and limit how much water they poured down the drain as authorities shut down the wastewater system in anticipation of the tsunami.

On Oahu, all beach parks, golf courses and the zoo were closed. Fleets of public buses provided free transport for anyone needing to leave evacuation zones.

Hawaii's Department of Transportation urged ships and shipping companies to get their vessels out of port ahead of the waves.

Kirk Caldwell, Honolulu's managing director, said the city worked with hotels to warn tourists in the renowned Waikiki Beach area to move to the third floor or higher.

At least 214 people were killed in the earthquake which struck some 70 miles (115 kilometers) from the coastal Chilean city of Concepcion.

Governments across the Pacific's "Ring of Fire" implemented emergency preparations that were beefed up after the Indian Ocean disaster of 2004, when a series of immensely destructive waves killed more than 220,000 people.