A tsunami warning was issued for Japan after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck the northwest coast of the country.

The tremor hit the region of Yamagata at around 10.22 p.m. local time.

Japan's Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning with waves of up to a metre high along the country's main island Honshu.

This was later cancelled and fears of widespread damage have so far failed to materialise.

The warnings were put in place in the prefectures of Niigata and Yamagata, as well as Sadogashima Island.

Nearly 10,000 people were evacuated from their homes by authorities as a precaution.

Japan's Meteorological Agency warned a tsunami could hit the country

A shake map showed the intensity of the tremors at various locations.

At least one part of the island measured a six, which is enough to bring down less earthquake resistant houses.

Nearly 9,000 homes in the region were left without power due to the powerful quake, Kyodo news agency reported.

The earthquake hit the northwestern coast of Japan

Bullet train services to the Yamagata region were temporarily suspended.

There were no immediate reports of damage, although areas hardest hit by the quake could not be contacted by telephone, according to public broadcaster NHK.

Tokyo Electric Power Co's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant was not affected by the quake, which hit 85 km ( 53 miles) northeast off the coast, with all of its seven reactors already shutdown, NHK said.

The Island of Honshu lies to the east of mainland Japan

Japan is located on the so-called Pacific 'Ring of Fire' and is frequently hit by dangerous tremors and earthquakes.

The last earthquake of this size to strike Japan was in September 2018.

A 6.6-magnitude tremor hit close to Tomakomai in Hikkaido, on the north island.

Unlike that earthquake - which struck at a depth of 21 miles - the quake off Honshu is close to the surface.

Because it is just 10 miles below the surface of the Earth's crust, the impact was predicted to be quite severe.

In March 2011, nearly 16,000 people were killed when an earthquake struck the Oshika Penninsula which was followed by a devastating tsunami.

That earthquake triggered the world's largest nuclear disaster since Chernobyl after the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant was forced to shut down.

Radiation leaking in fatal quantities forced 160,000 people to evacuate immediately, and most to this day have not returned to their toxic towns and villages.