A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck northeastern Japan early Sunday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the latest in a series of major tremors to hit the region.
No tsunami warning was issued and there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, but the recent series of earthquakes, coinciding with typhoon season, has raised concerns about the possibility of landslides.
Sunday's earthquake struck off the coast of Iwate Prefecture at 7:25 a.m. local time (22:25 GMT Saturday), at a depth of approximately 40 kilometres (25 miles), and shook Aomori Prefecture and other neighbouring areas.
Japan is prone to earthquakes and tsunamis, and a series of tremors has recently struck the country, including a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that hit Thursday in an area near Sunday's epicentre.
The agency warned of the possibility of further earthquakes, as a 5.6-magnitude quake shook Yamanashi Prefecture and surrounding areas — located near Mount Fuji, west of Tokyo — on Friday.