A powerful earthquake struck off the northern Japanese coast, and the Japan Meteorological Agency, JMA issued a tsunami alert in the region. The JMA said, the 7.7-magnitude earthquake occurred off the coast of Sanriku in northern Japan at around 4:53 p.m. (0753 GMT), at a depth of about 10 kilometres below the sea surface.

Japanese authorities have revised the magnitude of the earthquake to 7.7. It was initially announced as having a magnitude of 7.4. A tsunami of about 2.6 feet was detected at the Kuji port in the Iwate prefecture, and a smaller tsunami of 1.3 feet was recorded at another port in the prefecture.

The JMA urged residents in the region to immediately stay away from the coast or along rivers and take shelter on higher ground. It also cautioned people in the area against possible aftershocks for about a week. Earlier, the JMA issued a tsunami warning for waves up to three metres after the earthquake struck northern part of the country today.

Footage from national broadcaster NHK did not show any immediate visible damage around several ports in Iwate. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters that the government was trying to confirm whether there were any casualties or property damage.