(Vatican Radio) The quake was magnitude 7.3. It struck off northeastern Japan, where
last year's tsunami left at least 18-thousand people dead.
This time, Japan's
meteorological agency said it released a public warning six minutes before the quake
struck.
Tsunami sirens sounded, sending thousands of residents heading for
higher ground and to designated evacuation centres such as local schools.
The
manager of one such centre told Japan's NHK broadcaster the evacuation was taking
place calmly.
The wave proved to be just one metre in height; it did little
damage.
But the quake was so strong it caused buildings in Tokyo to sway for
a minute or more. Office workers gathered around TV sets bracing for the worst, and
phone lines were overloaded.
Japan has barely begun to rebuild after last year's
disasters. The Fukushima nuclear plant remains fragile and vulnerable to continued
seismic shocks.
And by one count, a third of a million people remain displaced,
living in temporary accommodation, so Friday's earthquake seemed to catch the nation
at a time when it's still vulnerable.