An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 jolted northern Japan on Tuesday morning, the Meteorological Agency said.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or injuries.
The temblor, which struck at around 5:11 a.m., shook areas from Hokkaido down to Miyagi Prefecture.
The strongest shock waves, which measured an intensity of 4 on the Japanese seismic scale to 7, were felt in Hiranai, Gonohe, Nagawa and Fukuchi -- all in Aomori Prefecture -- as well as in Ninohe, Iwate Prefecture.
Lesser shock waves were felt in several locations in Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwata, Miyagi and Akita prefectures.
Japan Highway Public Corp. said it temporarily closed a section of the Tohoku Expressway between Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture and Ichinohe in Iwate Prefecture to conduct safety checks. Some trains reduced speeds on the Tohoku, Hachinohe and Ominato lines. Four special express trains and six local trains were delayed up to 90 minutes, according to East Japan Railway Co.
An intensity-4 earthquake is able to dislodge loose objects but usually causes no injuries or major damage.
According to government seismologists, the epicenter of the earthquake was off the eastern shores of Aomori Prefecture while the focus was around 30 km under the Earth's surface.