Japanese police rescuers searching for missing persons outside Okawa Elementary School in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, northern Japan, four months to the day of the March 11, 2011 quake and tsunami.EPA/BGNES
Japan has been shaken Wednesday by a strong earthquake almost to the year of the anniversary of the most devastating tremors in the country.
It had been registered at 6:08 pm local time.
According to the US Geological Survey, the epicenter is at a depth of 2 kilometers, and is located 261 km southeast of Kushiro on the Japanese island of Hokkaido and about 735 northeast of the capital Tokyo.
The earthquake had a magnitude of 6.8 on the Richter scale, prompting a tsunami alert and the evacuation of population along the northeast coastline.
There are currently no reports of casualties and damage.
Just three days ago, people of Japan solemnly commemorated the victims of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan's north-west a year ago.
On March 11, 2011, a 9 degree Richter earthquake destroyed buildings, damaged the Fuskushima Nuclear Power Plant, NPP, and sent a massive tsunami wave reaching 40 meters at some points.
According to official data, 15 854 people perished in the disaster a year ago, with 3 167 others still missing.