Police officers and rescue workers conduct search and rescue operations at a residence engulfed by a landslide due to heavy rain in Hirao, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, on June 27, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
A magnitude-6.1 earthquake rattled northeastern Japan on early Sunday (June 28, 2026), according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the latest in a series of major temblors hitting the region.
No tsunami warning was issued, and there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. But the recent spate of quakes coming during typhoon season has set off worries about mudslides.
Sunday’s quake struck off the coast of Iwate Prefecture at 7:25 a.m. local time, with a depth of about 40 kilometres (25 miles), and shook Aomori Prefecture and other nearby regions.
A coastline is hit by high waves as a typhoon approaches Futtsu City, Chiba Prefecture, near Tokyo, on June 27, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
AP
Japan is prone to quakes and tsunamis. A series of quakes has hit lately, including a 7.2 magnitude quake that struck on Thursday (June 25, 2026) in the area close to Sunday’s quake. That magnitude was revised upward from a preliminary estimate.
The agency has warned other quakes may follow. A magnitude 5.6 earthquake shook Yamanashi Prefecture and nearby areas, which are near Mount Fuji and west of Tokyo, on Friday (June 26, 2026).
Published – June 28, 2026 06:32 am IST
