A 6.9 magnitude earthquake has struck Aomori Prefecture in the northern part of Japan's Honshu island.
The earthquake occurred at approximately 7:30 a.m. today (June 25).
The epicenter was located off the coast of Iwate Prefecture, with an estimated depth of 50 km.
Due to the earthquake, a seismic intensity of 6-strong was observed in areas including Sannoe, Hachinohe, and Kamikita in Aomori Prefecture.
The seismic intensity scale used by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) is a different concept from magnitude, which measures the absolute strength of an earthquake.
It represents the degree of shaking felt by people and the movement of objects in a specific area at the time of an earthquake.
A seismic intensity of 6-strong is a level at which it is difficult for people to remain standing, and they may be thrown to the ground.
It is a level of shaking where most unfixed furniture may move or fall over.
NHK reported that the significant shaking caused items to fall in homes and offices.
Tremors were also felt in buildings in Tokyo, which is more than 700 km away from Aomori Prefecture.
The Japan Meteorological Agency explained that while there may be slight changes in sea levels along the coast, there is no risk of tsunami damage.
Due to the earthquake, operations on both the northbound and southbound lines of the JR Tohoku Shinkansen between Sendai and Shin-Aomori have been suspended.
The Japanese government has established an earthquake response office at the Crisis Management Center of the Prime Minister's Office.
Northern Honshu, where Aomori and Iwate prefectures are located, and southern Hokkaido have experienced a series of earthquakes recently, including a 7.4 magnitude quake that occurred last April.
(Photo: Provided by the Korea Meteorological Administration, Yonhap News)
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