The biggest earthquake to hit Japan since records began struck the Pacific coast in the country's northeast. Tsunami waves are hitting a wide-ranging area from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south.
The Meteorological Agency has issued a tsunami warning for the Pacific side of the country. It is also urging people to stay on guard against aftershocks.
The agency says the magnitude 8.8 earthquake focused off the Tohoku region hit at 2:46 PM at an estimated depth of 24 kilometers. The quake is the largest Japan has suffered since records began about 140 years ago.
The quake triggered huge tsunami waves. A tsunami higher than 7.3 meters crashed into Fukushima Prefecture. Tsunamis higher than 4 meters were recorded in other districts of eastern Japan.
The agency says tsunami waves over one meter high were observed repeatedly on Saturday morning.
Some tsunami data remains unknown due to equipment glitches. The agency says it is possible that tsunamis higher than 7 meters could have engulfed the coastal region.
Friday's massive earthquake has been followed by what are believed to be aftershocks with a magnitude of around 7, mainly on the Pacific coast of Japan's main island, Honshu.
A strong quake and aftershocks hit central Japan early Saturday morning. Nagano Prefecture experienced a quake with an intensity of 6 plus on the nation's scale of zero to 7. A quake with the intensity of 6 minus jolted Niigata Prefecture.
Seismic experts say the series of quakes on Saturday are different from those on Friday along the Pacific Coast.
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