The quake struck just before 5 p.m. local time (10 a.m. GMT) at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles) in waters off Iwate Prefecture. Buildings were reported to have shaken as far away as Tokyo, about 600 kilometers (370 miles).
An official from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) warned in a televised press conference that more earthquakes could hit the area, AFP reports.
A tsunami warning has been issued, with waves of up to three meters feared for Iwate and Aomori on the island of Honshu, and parts of Hokkaido.
"Immediately evacuate from coastal and riverine areas to safer places," reads a call from the JMA.
According to the JMA, tsunami waves have been observed in several places along the northeastern coast of Honshu. So far, waves have reached land in, among other places, the port city of Kuji, where the wave is reported to be “only” 80 centimeters high.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi also urged residents in areas covered by the warning to evacuate.
Residents in areas where tsunami warnings have been issued should immediately evacuate to higher ground or safer places, such as evacuation buildings, she said, according to Japanese media.
Japan is one of the world's most seismically active countries.
