A 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Japan, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
The quake's epicenter was more than 200 miles east of the largest Japanese island of Honshu, according to the USGS.
Japanese broadcaster NHK reported that a yellow tsunami threat warning was in place for the coast of Fukushima Prefecture — meaning there could be a tsunami of up to one meter — and that people were being advised to move to higher ground.
The quake hit late Friday morning California time and at 2:10 a.m. Japan time. It was felt 300 miles away in Tokyo. There are many reports of people being awakened by the quake in downtown Tokyo.
No warning for the rest of the Pacific was posted by the U.S. Tsunami Warning Center in the early minutes after the quake. Scientists explained that the shockwaves from the ocean-centered quake aimed at Japan and not the open ocean.
In March 2011 a 9.0 earthquake struck the same region and was large enough to send tsunami waves to the California coast. In Santa Cruz, a series of wave surges damaged dozens of boats docked in the main harbor. In the end, the damage estimates topped $14 million.
In Japan, all but two of the country's 50 reactors have been offline since that massive earthquake and ensuing tsunami triggered multiple meltdowns and massive radiation leaks at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, about 250 kilometers (160 miles) northeast of Tokyo.
