19 June

The Japan Meteorological Agency says a magnitude-6.7 quake struck the northern part of the country late Tuesday night. No fatalities have been reported. Tsunami advisories issued along the Sea of Japan coast have been lifted. 

Seismologists say the tremor hit off the coast of Yamagata Prefecture at 10:22 p.m. on Tuesday.

The focus is estimated to be 14 kilometers under the seabed.

Tsunami advisories for the coasts of Yamagata, Niigata and Ishikawa prefectures were lifted early Wednesday morning.

The prefecture hit hardest by the earthquake was Niigata, which registered an intensity of upper 6 on the Japanese scale of zero to 7.

Twenty-one people were injured in Niigata, Yamagata, Miyagi, and Ishikawa prefectures. About 1,000 people evacuated their homes.

The strong jolt has knocked out electricity in the region. Utility company officials said thousands of households in Niigata and Yamagata prefectures were without power at one point.

NHK