TOKYO — A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck off Japan’s northeast coast Saturday, shaking buildings even in Tokyo and triggering a tsunami advisory for a part of the northern coast.
The quake was centered off the coast of Miyagi prefecture, which was heavily damaged during the huge earthquake and tsunami of 2011.
The Meteorological Agency of Japan said in a statement that it struck at 6:09 p.m. local time (6:09 a.m. ET) near the Miyagi Prefecture.
No damage has been reported, according to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK and there have been no initial reports of injuries.
However, the U.S. Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami advisory notice.
“Based on the preliminary earthquake parameters, hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts located within 300 km (186 miles) of the earthquake epicenter,” it said in a statement.
After initially issuing a tsunami warning for the Myagi Prefecture, the Meteorological Agency of Japan later rescinded it.
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Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority also said in a post on its website that no anomalies had been found at three nuclear reactors in the vicinity, including both the Fukushima Daiichi and the Fukushima Daini nuclear power plants.
Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world’s most seismically active areas and the country accounts for about 20 percent of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.
Last month, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast near the Fukushima prefecture, which was the site of one of the world’s worst nuclear disasters almost a decade ago.
Fukushima was hit by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake in 2011 — the strongest in Japan’s history. A tsunami soon followed, leaving more than 15,000 people dead and 2,500 others still missing.
In a sign of rebirth, the area had been due to host parts of the Summer Olympics set to take place in Japan in 2020. However, the games were delayed to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Arata Yamamoto reported from Tokyo and Adela Suliman from London.
Reuters contributed to this report.
