6.2 magnitude earthquake strikes northern Japan

The quake hit the northern island of Hokkaido, but no injuries or significant damage were reported.

A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s northernmost main island Hokkaido on Sunday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

No tsunami alert issued. There were no reports of problems at nuclear plants in the area or interruptions in power supplies or bullet trains running in northern Japan.

The quake, which struck at 6:55 pm (0955 GMT), had a depth of 140 km (87 miles) and struck the southwestern part of Hokkaido, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

It shook much of the island, including the cities of Chitose and Atsuma, the agency said.

Parts of northern Honshu, the country’s largest island where Tokyo is located, were also affected, although the country’s capital was not affected.

A nation prone to earthquakes

Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone nations in the world and is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of intense seismic activity in the Pacific basin.

In March 2011, the country was hit by a huge 9.0 magnitude undersea earthquake in the northeast. The earthquake triggered a tsunami that left some 18,500 people dead or missing. It also caused a major incident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

In March 2022, a powerful earthquake struck northeast Japan, shaking buildings some 275 km (171 miles) away in Tokyo and leaving hundreds of thousands without power, including in the capital. Three people died and more than 100 were injured.

In May 2023, a powerful, magnitude 6.5 earthquake it left at least one person dead, damaged buildings and injured more than 20 people.