Tsunami waves have hit the main southern island of Japan after a powerful earthquake struck off the coast early this morning.
Tidal waves of up to one metre arrived and were 'expected to strike repeatedly', Japan's Meteorological Agency warned as Japan braced for impact.
A violent quake was initially detected off the southeast of Japan, registering at 7.1 magnitude and causing authorities to halt trains and urge people to seek higher ground. The magnitude was revised up from 6.9.
Tsunami advisories were sent out over several regions in the southwestern islands of Kyushu and Shikoku, as Japan prepared its rapid response forces.
''First time in my life I've felt shaking like this,' one resident of Kyushu said as homes and power lines began to shake.
'Normally I barely feel it when I'm outside or in a car, but it shook to the point that even when I'm standing, there was a fluttering feeling.'
Visitors to the Peace Park crouch as an earthquake alert was issued in Nagasaki on Thursday
Others brace inside a shopping centre as tremors disrupt daily activities
People evacuate trains in Japan amid the earthquakes today and widespread cancellations
The quake most strongly shook Nichinan city and nearby areas in Miyazaki prefecture on Kyushu island.
Footage from Japan showed light fixtures and wall decorations swinging as the earthquakes hit today.
Broadcaster NHK showed footage of traffic lights shaking violently in Miyazaki on Kyushu's southeast coast.
'The surface of the sea is wavering. I felt an intense jolt when the quake happened which lasted for between 30 seconds and a minute,' one local official told NHK.
The broadcaster also reported that three people were hurt in Miyazaki but gave no indication of the extent of their injuries.
Japan's meteorological society predicted waves of up to 1 meter (3.3 feet) along the southern coast of Kyushu and Shikoku.
The United States Geological Survey initially reported that the first quake was followed by another 7.1 magnitude tremor.
However this was later deemed an error, the agency confirming there had only been one tremor.
'This error has been fixed. There was one event,' the USGS said.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) also reported a single quake.
NHK reported that there were no abnormalities detected at Japan's Sendai nuclear powerplant in Kagoshima, harking back to the devastatingf*ckushima nuclear accident in 2011 as power supplies were knocked offline by an earthquake.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority said all 12 nuclear reactors, including three which are currently operating, on Kyushu and Shikoku remained safe.
The Japanese government has set up a special task force in response to the quakes, the USGS reported.
Seismologists were also holding an emergency meeting to analyse whether the quake had affected the nearby Nankai Trough, the source of past devastating earthquakes.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said officials were assessing possible injuries or serious damage, though none were immediately reported.
He urged residents of the affected region to stay away from the coastline.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida wrote on Twitter/X that he had issued instructions in response, and that authorities were collecting information on damage.
'Please continue to be on the lookout for strong shaking and take action to protect your lives,' he wrote.
Video showed power lines and buildings shaking as the earthquakes reached land, on Kyushu
Light fixtures started to shake as authorities told residents to get to higher ground
Residents got out of their cars to watch buildings and overhead powerlines shake
Sitting on top of four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', Japan is one of the world's most tectonically active countries.
The archipelago, home to around 125 million people, experiences around 1,500 jolts every year and accounts for around 18 percent of the world's earthquakes.
The vast majority are mild, although the damage they cause varies according to their location and the depth below the Earth's surface at which they strike.
Still, even large quakes usually cause little damage thanks to special construction techniques and strict building regulations in the world's number four economy.
On New Year's Day, at least 260 people died after a massive earthquake hit the peninsula, including 30 'quake-linked' deaths as well as those killed directly in the disaster.
The January 1 quake and its aftershocks toppled buildings, caused fires and knocked out infrastructure at a time when families were celebrating the new year.
