Latest updates: Powerful earthquake strikes off Japan’s northeast, triggering tsunami

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In addition to the injuries reported at a hotel in the Aomori town of Hachinohe, a man in the town of Tohoku was slightly hurt when his car fell into a hole, public broadcaster NHK reported.

The number of people hurt at the hotel and the extent of their injuries are unclear.

The JMA says a tsunami of 50 centimetres was measured in Kuji port in Iwate prefecture, just south of Aomori.

Tsunami levels of 40 to 50 centimetres struck other coastal communities in the region, the agency said.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara urged residents to immediately head to higher ground or take shelter inside buildings or evacuation centres until the alert is lifted, The Associated Press reported.

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In July, an 8.8-magnitude earthquake in Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula triggered tsunami waves there, as well as in Japan, Hawaii and Alaska.

In Kamchatka, a tsunami height of three to four metres was recorded, according to NPR. A height of 60 centimetres was recorded on the Japanese northern island of Hokkaido — which is also under the current tsunami warning. It reached about 43 centimetres in height near Alaska's Aleutian Islands.

Millions of people fled the areas to higher ground, where evacuation centres were set up.

While there have been no irregularities reported at nuclear power plants in the region, thousands are without power, Tohoku Electric said.

East Japan Railway suspended some services in the area, which was also hit by the massive 9.0-magnitude quake in March 2011, according to Reuters.

Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, with a tremor occurring at least every five minutes.

Located in the "Ring of Fire" of volcanoes and oceanic trenches partly encircling the Pacific Basin, Japan accounts for about 20 per cent of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or greater.

The United States Geological Survey released its preliminary data showing shake intensity in the northern region of Japan. The epicentre of the 7.6 magnitude quake was off the coast of Misawa in Aomori prefecture.

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The JMA said tsunamis from 20 to 50 cm heights were observed at several ports, according to Reuters.

The federal agency is allay warning that tsunami waves as heights as deuce-ace metres could hit the northeastern coast.

On Japan's 1-7 scale of seismic intensity, the 11:15 p.m. Quake registered as an "upper 6" in Aomori prefecture — strong enough to make it impossible to keep standing or move without crawling.

In such tremors, most heavy furniture can collapse and wall tiles and windowpanes are damaged in many buildings.

Several people were injured at a hotel in the Aomori town of Hachinohe, the public broadcaster NHK reported.

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters the government has set up an emergency task force to assess the situation.

"We are putting people's lives first and doing everything we can," she said.

NHK also reported that nuclear power plants in the area are conducting safety checks.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has upgraded the earthquake's magnitude to 7.6.

The tsunami warning has been issued for the prefectures of Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate, after the quake jolted a large part of Japan's north and east at 11:15 p.m. Local time, Reuters reports.

The quake's epicentre was 80 kilometers off the coast of Aomori and was 50 kilometres deep, according to the agency.

Hi, I'm a member of the live page team. An earthquake was just reported off the coast of Japan and a tsunami warning has followed.

A maximum three-metre high tsunami is forecast for Japan's northeastern coast.

The earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.2, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, according to Reuters.

We'll be bringing you this story as it develops.

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