People have been urged to avoid areas where the tremors were strong.
Scenes of ruin have emerged from southern Japan after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4.
Millions of people are on alert after being jolted by the tremors on Wednesday night.
The epicentre was pinpointed to a channel between the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku, about 11 miles west of Uwajima, at a depth of about 15 miles.
Footage circulating on social media shows buildings shaking amid the power of the earthquake.
A man in his 90s was among several people who were wounded and have since been take to hospital.
No tsunami warnings have been issued across Japan where seismic activity is a common event.
‘In areas the jolt was strong, please do not approach any dangerous areas. There is no risk of tsunami caused by this earthquake,’ the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) confirmed in a statement on X.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
