The London Daily News

International News Desk

Japan has welcomed 2012 with a 7.0 earthquake off the coast of south-eastern Japan on Sunday, shaking buildings in Tokyo and putting Japan on a state of alert, when Japan is still recovering from last year’s "mega-disaster".

To date the quake has not caused major damage with no initial reports from domestic news agencies of damaged buildings or injuries. It prompted no tsunami warning, and nuclear plants across the nation reported no irregularities.

The earthquake was centred near Japan’s Izu Islands, about 307 miles south-southwest of Tokyo, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake struck at a depth of 217 miles — such a deep jolt is less likely to cause damage than one close to the surface, reports The Washington Post.

For those in Tokyo, this was among the biggest shakes since the 9.0-magnitude earthquake of March 11 that triggered Japan’s greatest crisis since World War II. Books fell off of shelves, and buildings quivered.

Some roads were temporarily closed, but the train system was unaffected.

Japan earthquake 1 Jan 2025