A powerful earthquake shook northern Japan early this morning.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1, hit at 6.39am and was centered just below the ocean bottom off the east coast of Japan's main island of Honshu, Japan's Meteorological Agency said.
Small tsunami waves measuring 12 and 20 inches hit the coastal city of Ofunato and smaller waves hit at least four other towns. Tsunami waves - generated by earthquakes - are often barely noticeable in the ocean but can rise to great heights once they arrive at shore.
Ross Stein, a geophysicist with the USGS in Menlo Park, California, said the swell amounted to "a surfable tsunami."
Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries because it sits atop four tectonic plates. A 7.2-magnitude earthquake shook northeastern Japan in August, injuring at least 59 people, triggering landslides, damaging buildings and causing widespread power outages.
AP