Japan was hit by a severe earthquake of 7.1 magnitude today morning, sending several tsunamis ashore about 290 kilometres away from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said that tsunamis of up to 40 centimetres were reported at four areas along the coast, Stuff.co.nz reports.
The quake was widely felt in Tokyo, but there were no immediate signs of serious damage, the report added.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported the quake to be of magnitude 7.3.
Fukushima nuclear plant operator Tepco did not report any rise in radiation levels after the quake.
