A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off the coast of Iwate Prefecture in northern Japan on Sunday evening, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The quake occurred at a depth of about 20 kilometers (12 miles) at 5:03 p.m. local time.
No injuries, damage, or nuclear plant issues were reported.
Initial tsunami advisories predicted waves up to 3 meters (9 feet), but these were later downgraded as the actual waves were much smaller — around 10 to 20 centimeters (4–8 inches) in several coastal cities, including Ofunato, Ominato, Miyako, Kamaishi, and Kuji.
The agency reduced the warnings to tsunami forecasts, indicating only minor sea-level changes were expected.
