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<\/p>\nTOKYO \u2013 Saucepans fell out of kitchen cupboards and security cameras wobbled violently, but no casualties or major damage were reported after a strong 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck off northern Japan on June 25.<\/p>\n
Tremors were felt several hundred kilometres away in Tokyo from the quake in the sea off Iwate prefecture on the main island of Honshu at 7.30am local time.<\/p>\n
No tsunami warning was issued.<\/p>\n
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said the magnitude was 6.9 but later revised it to 7.2, saying the epicentre was at a depth of 44km.<\/p>\n
Mutsumi Shimohata, 61, a food processing company employee in Hashikami in Aomori prefecture, also in the north, told AFP that the only damage in her home was a picture frame falling down.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe quake occurred when I was at home, and an alarm (on my smartphone) went off an instant later. I was surprised, and it felt a bit long,\u201d Shimohata told AFP.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was no damage to our house, but our company told us to stay home and be on standby today, as the office\u2019s automatic door stopped opening, and parts of the ceiling collapsed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Japanese television footage showed saucepans in a heap and goods on the floor in shops.<\/p>\n
Some shinkansen bullet train services were suspended, and a primary school principal told NHK that her school in Hashikami was temporarily closed because of the quake.<\/p>\n
The fire department for Hashikami and Hachinohe received at least four emergency calls, while there was a report that people were stuck in a lift, the public broadcaster reported.<\/p>\n
There were also reports of stuck doors and an overturned tanker truck, NHK said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt this time, there is no information indicating any human casualties, but we will continue to monitor and assess the situation regarding damage,\u201d top government spokesman Minoru Kihara said.<\/p>\n
No abnormalities were reported at nuclear power stations in the region, the Nuclear Regulation Authority said, according to Kyodo News.<\/p>\n
NHK showed regular traffic in Hachinohe city, with traffic lights functioning as normal.<\/p>\n
In Aomori, the tremors registered an upper six on Japan\u2019s seven-level Shindo intensity scale.<\/p>\n
At that level, people may be unable to remain standing without support and can be thrown off their feet, while unsecured furniture is likely to topple and windows may shatter, according to the JMA.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ordered ministries and government agencies to work closely with the local authorities.<\/p>\n
\u201cI ask residents in areas that experienced strong shaking to remain alert for the possibility of additional earthquakes of similar intensity,\u201d Takaichi said on X.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A board displaying suspended railway service due to the impact of an earthquake, at a train station in Sendai, Japan, on June 25.<\/p>\n
PHOTO: REUTERS<\/p>\n
Japan is one of the world\u2019s most seismically active countries, sitting on top of four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific \u201cRing of Fire\u201d.<\/p>\n
The archipelago, home to around 125 million people, typically experiences hundreds of jolts every year and accounts for about 18 per cent of the world\u2019s earthquakes.<\/p>\n
The vast majority of the quakes are mild, although the damage they cause varies according to their location and the depth below the earth\u2019s surface at which they strike.<\/p>\n