TOKYO, May 15, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck northern 
Japan on Friday, the country's weather agency said, but no tsunami warning 
was issued and there were no immediate reports of damage.

The quake hit at 8:22 pm (1122 GMT) in Pacific waters off northern Miyagi 
prefecture, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

It follows a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake that hit near the region in 
April, prompting a tsunami alert at the time.

The JMA has cautioned that a major quake could occur in the region, even 
after it lifted a special warning issued after the April tremor.

Public broadcaster NHK said on Friday that no abnormalities were detected at 
nuclear power plants in Miyagi and Fukushima, located about 125 kilometres 
(78 miles)from the epicentre.

The operation of shinkansen bullet trains was suspended due to the quake, 
East Japan Railway announced.

Japan is one of the world's most seismically active countries, sitting on top 
of four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific "Ring of 
Fire".

It has strict construction regulations intended to ensure buildings can 
withstand strong earthquakes.

However, it is still haunted by the memory of a massive 9.0 magnitude 
undersea quake in 2011, which triggered a tsunami that left around 18,500 
people dead or missing and caused a devastating meltdown at the Fukushima 
nuclear plant.