Japan issued a tsunami advisory Tuesday for residents of Izu and Ogasawara Islands after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 struck in the Pacific Ocean near the uninhabited island of Torishima.
No major tremor has been observed, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said after the quake struck along the island chain in the ocean around 600 kilometers (370 miles) south of Tokyo.
A tsunami of 50 cm reached Hachijo island, one of the Izu Islands, about 40 minutes after the earthquake, according to the JMA.
A tsunami as high as one meter could strike the Izu and Ogasawara Islands, the agency said.
There have been no reports of any serious damage thus far.
The Pacific Ring of Fire
Four tectonic plates
According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which oversees the regions, the Izu Islands and the even more remote Ogasawara Islands to the south have about a dozen inhabited islands and a combined population of about 24,000 as of last year.
Japan sits on four major tectonic plates. It experiences about 1,500 earthquakes a year, most of them minor.
However, thanks to advanced building techniques and well-practiced emergency procedures, the effects of even major quakes are usually contained.
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dh/jsi (AP, AFP, Reuters)