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Japan earthquake: 6.6 magnitude quake hits Japan Japan earthquake: 6.2 magnitude quake hits Japan
(about 7 hours later)
 A powerful earthquake with a suspected magnitude of 6.6 has shaken western Japan,   A powerful earthquake with a suspected magnitude of 6.6 has shaken western Japan, injuring seven people -– one seriously.
The Meteorological Agency said the earthquake occurred Friday at 2:10 p.m. (0510 GMT) in Japan's western prefecture of Tottori, about 700 kilometers (430 miles) west of Tokyo, at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles) underground.The Meteorological Agency said the earthquake occurred Friday at 2:10 p.m. (0510 GMT) in Japan's western prefecture of Tottori, about 700 kilometers (430 miles) west of Tokyo, at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles) underground.
The agency said there was no danger of a tsunami from the inland temblor. The agency said there was no danger of a tsunami from the inland temblor. 
Local officials told public broadcaster NHK that they had received reports of a house collapsing in the town of Yurihama and that fires had broke out in another part of the prefecture. At least two houses collapsed, and television footage showed roof tiles knocked loose, wall fragments from a sake brewery fallen to the ground, and wine bottles and food items scattered on a store floor. Japan's public broadcaster NHK said a woman cooking in a restaurant was taken to a hospital after she was splashed with oil. 
The fire department in Kurayoshi City reported receiving seven emergency calls for injuries and NHK showed images of severe shaking in the region. "It shook quite violently and file cabinets fell down, but luckily nobody was injured in this office," Koji Nakahara, a town hall official in coastal Hokuei, told NHK by telephone. 
Suminori Sakinada, a local government official, told Agence France Presse: "We felt fairly strong jolts, which I think were the biggest in years, but we have not seen any damage or things falling".Suminori Sakinada, a local government official, told Agence France Presse: "We felt fairly strong jolts, which I think were the biggest in years, but we have not seen any damage or things falling".
Bullet train services have been suspended in the area and nearly 40,000 homes are believed to be left without power as the quake knocked out power lines. Bullet train services have been suspended in the area and nearly 40,000 homes are believed to be left without power as the quake knocked out power lines.
NHK said switched-off nuclear reactors in the region were not affected.NHK said switched-off nuclear reactors in the region were not affected.
Japan sits on the edge of four tectonic plates so earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are fairly commonplace but strict building regulations mean strong tremors rarely do damage to modern buildings.Japan sits on the edge of four tectonic plates so earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are fairly commonplace but strict building regulations mean strong tremors rarely do damage to modern buildings.
But the quake comes five and a half years since a 9.0 undersea earthquake cause a tsunami, a meltdown at the Fukashima power plant and resulted in the deaths of over 18,000 people.But the quake comes five and a half years since a 9.0 undersea earthquake cause a tsunami, a meltdown at the Fukashima power plant and resulted in the deaths of over 18,000 people.
The then-Prime Minister Naoto Kan called the crisis the country "most difficult in the 65 years since the end of the Second World War".The then-Prime Minister Naoto Kan called the crisis the country "most difficult in the 65 years since the end of the Second World War".
Similarly a 1995 earthquake which struck Kobe in the south of the country killed over 6,000 people and made a further 200,000 homeless as many older buildings were destroyed and a freeway toppled over. Similarly a 1995 earthquake which struck Kobe in the south of the country killed over 6,000 people and made a further 200,000 homeless as many older buildings were destroyed and a freeway toppled over.