6.1 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Northeast Japan's Hokkaido

An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 occurred at 2.48 pm (local time) near Hokkaido in Japan.

An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 occurred at 2.48 pm (local time) in Hokkaido, Japan

An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 hit Japan's Hokkaido at 2.48 pm (local time), said the National Center for Seismology.

According to Japan Meteorological Agency, the earthquake tremors wore felt in the Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate provinces. State-run agency of Turkey, which was recently struck by a devastating earthquake, Anadolu quoted the JMA as stating: "The temblor originated off Aomori's eastern coast at a depth of around 20 kilometres (12.5 miles)."

According to French international news agency AFP, no tsunami warning has been issued so far. Japanese media agency Kyodo, too, reported that any change in the sea surface brought about by the earthquake is not likely to cause damage.

Japan is an earthquake-prone nation which is located in the Pacific 'Ring of Fire' — an area in the Pacific Ocean where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. This makes Japan one of the most seismically active countries in the world. The country has experienced many devastating earthquakes and tsunamis in the past, including the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in 2011, which claimed thousands of lives and caused widespread damage.

Tuesday's earthquake comes exactly a month after a 6.1 temblor hit the country on February 25 in the same region. That earthquake was registered as a "lower 5" on the nation's seven-point intensity scale. The intensity scale measures ground motion and impact of earthquakes. A 'lower 5' means that the intensity of the earthquake is enough to throw things off shelves. 

Earlier this month, Japan marked 12 years of the devastation brought about by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and the consequent tsunami, which claimed more than 15,000 lives. The 9.0 earthquake had devastated the Fukushima, Miyagi and Iwate prefectures.