Strong quake hits Hokkaido in northern Japan

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 6.2 occurred at around 5:23 am at a depth of 83 kilometers in the southern part of the Tokachi region.

The Hokkaido town of Urahoro registered upper 5 on the seismic intensity scale.

The town of Niikappu in the same prefecture logged lower 5.

At a press conference, Ayataka Ebita, director of the agency's Earthquake and Tsunami Observation Division, said that the quake, which originated deep within an oceanic plate subducting beneath a continental plate, is not believed to be directly related to the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck off the Sanriku coast south of Hokkaido on April 20.

Following the April 20 quake, the agency issued an advisory for subsequent strong quakes. However, Ebita said that the latest quake was not one of those.

The advisory mainly assumes an earthquake with a magnitude of around 8.0 occurring along the boundary between continental and oceanic plates.

Yoshiko Hoshiba, 77, who runs a Japanese-style inn in Urahoro, said, "There was a strong impact, but the shaking in the April 20 quake was stronger."

The inn had two guests, none of whom were injured.