JAPAN TIMES



 

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake, measuring a lower 5 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale, struck the Tohoku region on Friday evening. There was no threat of a tsunami. 

The quake struck at a depth of 50 kilometers off the coast of Miyagi Prefecture at 8:22 p.m., following an emergency earthquake warning for the region.

A lower 5 was registered in the cities of Tome, Osaki and Ishinomaki in Miyagi Prefecture. A swath of Miyagi and Iwate prefectures also saw the quake register a 4 on the Japanese scale.

The Tohoku Shinkansen Line was temporarily suspended between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori stations following the quake, according to JR East, but trains were set to resume by around 10:40 p.m. Some trains on the Yamagata Shinkansen remained suspended. 

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. 

The temblor was the largest to strike the Tohoku region since a 7.7 magnitude quake hit on April 20, prompting a tsunami alert and a rare special advisory warning of an increased risk of major earthquakes.

More information:

• Detailed information about the location of the earthquake, from the Japan Meteorological Agency website
• An explanation of shindo, Japan's earthquake intensity scale
• A guide to what to do before, during and after an earthquake
• Our portal for disaster-related information