Magnitude 6.2 Earthquake Jolts Northern Japan, No Damage or Tsunami Warning

A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck northern Japan early Monday, shaking parts of the island of Hokkaido but causing no immediate reports of damage or casualties , according to authorities.

The tremor occurred at around 5:23 am local time , with its epicenter located about 18 kilometres west of the town of Sarabetsu in southern Hokkaido. The US Geological Survey said the earthquake struck at a depth of about 81 kilometres , while initially estimating the magnitude at 6.1 before later assessments placed it at 6.2.

Japan’s Japan Meteorological Agency confirmed that no tsunami advisory was issued following the quake, indicating there was no immediate threat to coastal communities.

The earthquake registered an upper 5 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale in some areas such as Urahoro in the Tokachi region, a level of shaking strong enough to make it difficult for people to move without holding onto something and capable of toppling unsecured objects.

Officials also carried out precautionary checks at critical infrastructure facilities. Authorities said no abnormalities were detected at the Tomari nuclear power plant , and normal operations continued across the island.

The tremor comes about a week after a powerful 7.7-magnitude offshore earthquake near Japan’s northeastern coast prompted the government to warn of a temporarily higher risk of a potential megaquake in parts of the region. However, the meteorological agency clarified that Monday’s earthquake occurred outside the area covered by that advisory , and the special awareness period is expected to conclude as scheduled.

Japan lies along the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire and experiences frequent earthquakes, though most cause little or no damage due to the country’s strict building standards and preparedness measures.