A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.5 struck off the coast of Sanriku in northern Japan, around 122 km east of Yamada on Thursday.
The quake occurred at a depth of about 9.5 to 10 km, according to data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), indicating a relatively shallow tremor that could be felt across parts of north-eastern Japan.
Despite varying assessments of the quake, all agencies confirmed the quake originated offshore, reducing the immediate risk to densely populated areas.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or significant damage following the earthquake, and no tsunami warning had been issued at the time of reporting.
