Tsunami warning issued after 7.6 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Japan
Warnings have been issued for the coastal areas around Hokkaido and Aomori to expect waves of three metres imminently
A tsunami warning has been issued following a 7.6 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Japan.
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Warnings have been issued for the coastal areas around Hokkaido, Iwate and Aomori to expect waves of three metres imminently, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
The quake occurred off Aomori Prefecture and had an intensity of upper six on the country's scale that goes from 0-7.
Residents are advised to evacuate immediately and continue to evacuate until warnings are lifted.
Nuclear power plants in the region are conducting safety checks, public broadcaster NHK reported.
Read more: Tsunami threat after 7.6-magnitude earthquake strikes offshore southern Philippines
A tsunami of 40cm had been observed at Aomori's Mutsu Ogawara and Hokkaido's Urakawa ports before midnight, JMA said.
The epicentre of the quake was 80 km (50 miles) off the coast of Aomori prefecture, at a depth of 50 km (30 miles), the agency added.
Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, with a tremor occurring at least every five minutes.
East Japan Railway (9020.T), opens new tab suspended some train services in the area, which was also hit by the massive 9.0-magnitude quake in March 2011.
Located in the "Ring of Fire" arc of volcanoes and oceanic trenches partly encircling the Pacific Basin, the country accounts for about 20 per cent of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or greater.
Other sections of the coastline in these two areas have been advised that a wave of up to one metre could hit.
Residents living in these areas are urged to avoid the coasts and river mouths.
A tsunami warning was issued in July when an 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Russia's Far East.
The quake was the strongest earthquake recorded since 2011 - when a 9.1 magnitude earthquake rocked Tohoku in Japan and left tens of thousands of people dead, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
Waves reaching nearly five feet were recorded as the first tsunami waves struck the country in the summer.
A 4.2ft wave was recorded arriving in a port in Iwate.