Eastern Japan was hit by a strong earthquake of magnitude 7.3 on Wednesday evening, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, which issued a tsunami warning for much of the northeastern coast.
The epicenter of the earthquake, which occurred at 11:36 pm (2:36 pm GMT), was located off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture, at a depth of 60 km, according to the JMA agency.
This agency has issued a warning of waves up to one metre.
The shock, which was prolonged and felt powerful, including in Tokyo, has deprived more than two million homes of electricity, including nearly 700,000 in the Japanese capital, according to operator Tepco.
JR East Railway, which serves northeastern Japan, has reported major disruptions to its network.
TEPCO said on Twitter that it was conducting checks on its facilities, including the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, which were badly damaged by a massive tsunami triggered by a 9-magnitude earthquake in 2011.
Japan is still haunted by this disaster 11 years ago that left more than 18,500 dead and missing, and forced more than 165,000 people to evacuate their homes due to radiation hazards.
Japan sits at the crossroads of many major tectonic plates, experiences earthquakes regularly and has strict building standards so that its buildings can withstand strong tremors.
