6.3 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Central Japan
A 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit central Japan on Friday, forcing the suspension of bullet train services, but no tsunami warning was issued, authorities announced.
The quake struck the central Ishikawa region at 2:42 pm (0542 GMT) at a depth of 10 kilometers (six miles), according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Shinkansen bullet trains were suspended between Nagano and Kanazawa, a popular tourist destination, according to Japan Railway.
There were no immediate reports of deaths or damage.
Friday is a public holiday in Japan, part of a run of days off known as “Golden Week”, a time when many people travel for leisure or to visit family.
In the city of Suzu, the quake registered an upper six on the Japanese Shindo seismic scale, which goes up to a maximum of seven, meaning it could cause major landslides.
The United States Geological Survey put the magnitude of the quake at 6.2 and made it known that it struck just off the coast, but Japan’s Meteorological Agency placed the epicenter on land.
Earthquakes are common in Japan, which sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.
