A strong earthquake measuring 6.2 magnitude struck Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido early Monday, according to the US Geological Survey and the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), marking the latest in a series of seismic events affecting the region.
The quake hit at 5:23 am local time (2123 GMT Sunday) in southern Hokkaido at a depth of 83 kilometres, with authorities later revising the magnitude from an initial estimate of 6.1. No tsunami warning was issued.
The US Geological Survey said the risk of widespread damage and casualties was low due to the depth of the quake and the relatively sparse population in the affected area, located around 200 kilometres east of Sapporo.
However, the Japan Meteorological Agency warned that areas experiencing strong shaking face an increased risk of landslides and falling rocks. Officials also cautioned that aftershocks of similar magnitude could occur in the coming week.
The earthquake was preceded by a separate 5.0 magnitude tremor in the sea south of Hokkaido hours earlier, underscoring ongoing seismic activity in the region.
The latest quakes come less than a week after a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake off northern Iwate prefecture, which injured six people and triggered tsunami waves of up to 80 centimetres. That event was felt as far away as Tokyo.
Following the earlier quake, Japanese authorities warned that the likelihood of a larger seismic event—potentially a magnitude 8.0 or higher “megaquake”—was elevated compared to normal conditions.
Japan sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” one of the world’s most active seismic zones, and experiences around 1,500 earthquakes annually. The country remains highly vulnerable to major earthquakes, including the devastating 2011 undersea quake and tsunami that killed or left nearly 18,500 people missing and triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster.