Yomiuri ShimbunAFP
Tsunami waves over a metre high hit Japan on Monday after a huge earthquake that damaged homes, set off a major fire, closed highways and prompted authorities to urge people to run to higher ground.
The 7.5-magnitude quake struck the Noto region in Ishikawa prefecture on the Sea of Japan side of the main central island of Honshu at around 4:10 pm.
Japan's weather agency put the magnitude at 7.6 and said that it was one of more than 50 quakes of 3.2 magnitude or more to rock the region on the New Year's Day holiday when families get together and visit shrines.
Television channels interrupted normal services with special programming including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida urging people in danger areas to "evacuate as soon as possible" to higher ground.
"We realise your home, and your belongings are all precious to you, but your lives are important above everything else! Run to the highest ground possible," an alarmed presenter on broadcaster NHK told viewers.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a "large tsunami" warning, meaning waves of up to five metres, but no further major incidents were reported and the JMA later downgraded its warning to tsunamis of up to three metres.
The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, which had warned of possible tsunamis along 300 kilometres (190 miles) of coast, also said around four hours after the major quake that the tsunami danger had "largely passed".
The Japanese government said it was still assessing the extent of damage caused and whether there had been any casualties from the quake, which was felt in the capital Tokyo 300 kilometres (190 miles) away.
Government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said that there were reports that six people were in the rubble of collapsed buildings, but gave no further details.
