6.3 earthquakes felt off Japan

6.3 earthquakes felt off Japan
An earthquake measuring 6.3 mag has shaken the region off the coast of northern Japan.

Striking at just after 11.23 local time, the quake hit off the coast of the main island of Hokkaido at a depth of some 6.2 miles. The epicentre of the shake was more than 170 miles to the east of the island.

There have been no reports of damage or loss of life and no tsunami warning has been issued.

Residents on Hokkaido may have felt a small shake but speaking to the Associated Press, police official Esao Akatsuka said: “Nothing fell off from bookshelves.”

The Japanese are used to regular earthquakes, as the nation’s location makes it one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries.

Meanwhile, a new report from Aon Benfield recently identified Japan as a “mega earthquake” spot, alongside Chile and Indonesia. The report noted that the South Japan Subduction Zone “has a complex pattern of three segments” and could produce earthquakes of up to 8.6 on the Richter scale.