A powerful earthquake struck off the southern coast of Japan on Thursday, prompting a tsunami warning. There are no signs of major damage. But there were reports of broken windows at Miyazaki Airport, near the epicenter, Japan's NHK public television said.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 and was centered at a depth of about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) off the east coast of Japan's southern main island of Kyushu.
A tsunami warning was issued for the southern coast of Kyushu and the nearby island of Shikoku, predicting waves of up to 1 meter (3.3 feet). Nuclear power plants in Kyushu and Shikoku are being checked for any damage, operators said.
Located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a series of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean, Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. More than 240 people were killed in the January 1st earthquake in Noto, north central Japan.