Overview
- The Japan Meteorological Agency said a magnitude 6.2 quake struck southern Hokkaido at 5:23 a.m. Monday local time at a depth of about 83 kilometers.
- No tsunami warning followed, and the USGS expects only limited damage because the area about 200 kilometers east of Sapporo is sparsely populated, though officials cautioned about rockfalls and landslides.
- The government allowed its week-long warning of an imminent magnitude-8 mega-quake to expire, and disaster official Kota Iwamura said strong quakes can still occur without notice.
- The latest shock follows last week’s magnitude 7.7 offshore quake north of Iwate that sent waves up to 80 centimeters ashore and triggered evacuation advice for more than 150,000 people, injuring at least six.
- Germany’s Foreign Office issued a partial travel warning through April 27 for Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima, reflecting heightened seismic risk in Japan’s northeast.