A strong magnitude 5.7 earthquake hit Japan Atsuma Town in Hokkaido’s eastern Iburi region, at 9:22 p.m local Japan time on Thursday 21 Feb 2019.
The earthquake poses no tsunami risk, the Meteorological Agency said.
The Japan Meteorological Agency estimates the magnitude 5.7 quake occurred at a depth of about 30 kilometers in Iburi region.
Hokkaido Electric Power Co. said it has found no irregularities at its Tomari nuclear power plant in western Hokkaido.
According to Kyodo News, no expressways were shut down due to the quake. Hokkaido Shinkansen bullet train operations were temporarily suspended but resumed around 9:40 p.m local Japan time.
Footage from public broadcaster NHK showed lights flickering on and off in a town close to the epicentre.
Officials at the Transport Ministry’s office in New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido say its runways have been closed for inspection.
Japan sits at the junction of four tectonic plates and experiences a number of relatively violent quakes every year.
But rigid building codes and strict enforcement mean even strong tremors often do little damage.
Last year in September 2018, this same region was also struck by a large earthquake.
