An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 struck Japan's Kumamoto prefecture on Tuesday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
The Japanese government issued emergency earthquake warnings for Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga, Oita, and Miyazaki prefectures, all on Japan's southern island of Kyushu.
A tsunami warning for a 1-meter (3.28 ft) wave was initially issued after the earthquake, with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) later saying that the threat had already passed.
The PTWC also said that there was no risk of a tsunami in Hawaii and American Samoa following the earthquake.
Kyushu Electric Power said there were no reports of irregularities at its Sendai and Genkai nuclear power stations after the earthquake.
Train operator JR Kyushu said that it has suspended services, including its high-speed Shinkansen trains, following the quake.
Second large-scale earthquake that hits Japan in 2026
Tuesday's earthquake represents the second disaster of its kind to strike Japan this year, with a 7.5-magnitude event recorded off the coast of the islands, triggering tsunami alerts back in April.
In that instance, authorities urged residents to stay away from coastal areas where tsunami waves of up to 3 meters (9.84 ft) were expected.
The tremor had an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean and was 10 km deep, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The biggest waves were expected in the prefectures of Iwate, Aomori, and Hokkaido, authorities said.
The quake measured an 'upper 5' on Japan's seismic intensity scale -- strong enough to make it difficult for people to move around. In many cases, unreinforced concrete-block walls collapse.
Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, with a tremor occurring at least every five minutes. Located along the "Ring of Fire" of volcanoes and oceanic trenches that partly encircles the Pacific Basin, Japan accounts for about 20% of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or greater.
There are no nuclear power plants currently in operation in the Hokkaido and Tohoku regions, but Hokkaido Electric Power Co 9509.T and Tohoku Electric Power Co 9506.T have several shut-down nuclear power plants there.
This is a developing story.
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