Japan tsunami alert issued following powerful earthquake off northern coast – follow latest

People in affected areas urged to evacuate as quake registering 7.5 magniture occurred off the coast of Sanriku

There are no nuclear power plants currently in operation in Hokkaido and Tohoku regions but Hokkaido Electric Power Co and Tohoku Electric Power Co have a number of shutdown nuclear power plants there.

Tohoku Electric said it was checking the impact of the earthquake and tsunami on its Onagawa nuclear power plant.