Strong 6.3-magnitude earthquake jolts northern Japan, no tsunami warning issued

A strong earthquake measuring preliminary magnitude 6.3 struck northern Japan on Friday evening, shaking large parts of the Tohoku region, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). Authorities said there was no threat of a tsunami and no immediate reports of injuries or major damage.

The quake hit at 8:22 pm local time off the coast of Miyagi Prefecture at a depth of 50 kilometres. The tremor registered a lower 5 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale in the cities of Tome, Osaki and Ishinomaki, while several areas in Miyagi and neighbouring Iwate Prefecture recorded intensity level 4 shaking.

The earthquake triggered an emergency warning across the region, with strong tremors felt in multiple prefectures. Rail services were also disrupted following the quake.

According to JR East, the Tohoku Shinkansen Line was temporarily suspended between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori stations as a precautionary measure. Services were later scheduled to resume around 10:40 p.m., though some Yamagata Shinkansen trains remained suspended.

The latest temblor was the strongest to hit the Tohoku region since the magnitude 7.7 earthquake on April 20, which had prompted a tsunami alert and a rare advisory warning about the increased possibility of major earthquakes in the area.

(This is a developing story; Further details awaited)