The United States Geological Survey confirmed on Wednesday that a strong 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of northeastern Japan at around 6:12 AM (2112 GMT Tuesday). The epicenter of the tremor was located off the east of Japan’s Honshu island in the Pacific Ocean at a depth of 38.9 kilometers (24.1 miles).
Despite the tremor, the Japanese authorities and the USGS did not issue a tsunami warning and there were no immediate reports of damage. Japan’s Meteorological Agency noted that the tremor hit 33 kilometers southeast of the nearest city of Ofunato.
The “Land of the Rising Sun,” last experienced a powerful earthquake during the year 2011 in which a tsunami ensued that killed more than 18,000 people, and triggered a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima power plant. The areas affected by the 2011 disaster was also affected in the latest earthquake that hits Japan.
According to Japanese broadcaster NHK, the earthquake that hits Japan on Wednesday did not damage any of the nuclear reactors in the region, including those at the crippled Fukushima facility.
Aside from the nuclear reactors, Japan is also known for its train services in the region, which include “Shinkansen” bullet train operations, which was temporarily suspended following the quake.
As of posting time there is no immediate reports of damages, Japan is best known for having strict building codes to ensure that despite the earthquake’s frequency and magnitude, tremors usually pass without loss of life or significant damage to property.