6.3 Quake Strikes Off Miyagi Coast, Japan

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Pacific waters off the coast of Miyagi prefecture in northern Japan on Friday evening, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported, with the United States Geological Survey preliminarily measuring it at 6.7. The quake occurred at 8:22 p.m. local time (11:22 GMT) at a depth of about 50 kilometers, registering a seismic intensity of 5 on Japan's scale of 7 in cities including Tome, Osaki and Ishinomaki in Miyagi prefecture. Lower intensities of 4 were reported in parts of Miyagi and Iwate prefectures.

No tsunami warning was issued, and authorities reported no immediate damage or injuries. The Japanese government sent emergency warnings to residents in five prefectures. Public broadcaster NHK confirmed no abnormalities at nuclear power plants in Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, roughly 125 kilometers from the epicenter. East Japan Railway suspended operations on the Tohoku Shinkansen high-speed line between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori stations, as well as some Yamagata Shinkansen services, though many trains resumed by around 10:40 p.m.

The event follows a magnitude 7.7 earthquake on April 20 in northeastern and northern Japan, which prompted tsunami...