Powerful M6.9 quake jolts northern Japan; no tsunami warning issued
A magnitude-6.9 earthquake struck northern Japan with an epicenter about 50 km offshore from Iwate Prefecture. Hashikami in Aomori reported upper-6 shaking, while parts of Iwate logged upper-5; no tsunami warning was issued. The tremor paused the Tohoku Shinkansen and prompted a government task force. Officials said there are no reported casualties or nuclear facility abnormalities as of now, though there were elevator entrapment reports and the defense minister ordered aerial reconnaissance as a precaution. This is a developing story.