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Today: October 30, 2003 at 20:24:16 PST

Strong Earthquake Rocks Northern Japan

ASSOCIATED PRESS

TOKYO (AP) - A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 shook the northern part of Japan's main island early Friday, and was followed by another, more moderate jolt. There were no reports of injuries or damage.

A magnitude 6.8 quake is strong enough to do considerable damage in populated areas.

But Friday's temblor was centered offshore, about 250 miles north of Tokyo, and about 20 miles under the seabed, which was believed to have softened its impact.

"Things shook quite a bit, but it wasn't strong enough to break anything," said Yasuko Oba, a spokeswoman for the Sendai Prefectural Police, the jurisdiction nearest the epicenter. "It seemed to go on for about 30 seconds."

The first quake, which was powerful enough to sway buildings as far away as Tokyo, was followed by another offshore tremor with an estimated magnitude of 4.6.

Officials warned residents to stay away from the shoreline because of possible tsunami - ocean waves generated by seismic activity. Shortly after the quake, a tsunami of about 12 inches was recorded.

Railway officials said there were no reports of damage, and added that local trains were running as usual.

A worker at a convenience store in Wakuya, the town which registered the strongest shaking, said nothing was knocked off the shelves by the quake. He gave only his surname, Yamaki.

A magnitude 8 temblor struck Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido on Sept. 27. That quake damaged homes and roads, and injured 756 people. Two fishermen were believed to have been swept away by tsunami waves as high as 13 feet.

Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries. It sits atop four tectonic plates, slabs that move across the earth's surface.

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