A strong earthquake measuring magnitude 6.3 jolted Northern Japan on Friday evening, sending tremors across the Miyagi coastal region and briefly disrupting transport services, though authorities confirmed there was no tsunami threat or immediate reports of damage.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the quake struck at exactly 8:22 p.m. local time (11:22 GMT), with its epicentre located in Pacific waters off the coast of Northern Miyagi Prefecture.
The seismic event comes just weeks after a much stronger 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit near the same region in April, which at the time triggered tsunami warnings and heightened national concern.
While Friday’s quake did not prompt a tsunami alert, the JMA has continued to warn that the region remains at risk of major seismic activity even after lifting a special advisory issued following the April tremor.
Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported that nuclear facilities in Miyagi and Fukushima – about 125 kilometres from the epicentre – showed no abnormalities following the quake.
The tremor forced the temporary suspension of shinkansen bullet train operations, according to East Japan Railway, as safety checks were carried out across affected lines.
Japan, one of the most earthquake-prone nations in the world, sits along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where multiple tectonic plates meet and generate frequent seismic activity.
Despite strict building codes designed to withstand powerful quakes, the country still carries the scars of the devastating 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami of 2011, which left about 18,500 people dead or missing and caused a catastrophic nuclear disaster at Fukushima.
