A strong earthquake struck Japan's northern island of Hokkaido early Monday, marking the latest in a series of powerful tremors to hit the island nation.
The 6.1 magnitude quake occurred at a depth of approximately 80 kilometers in Hokkaido's southern region, with no tsunami alert issued and minimal predicted damage, given the limited population in the area.
However, the Japanese Meteorological Agency warned of increased danger from falling rocks and landslides in areas that experienced strong shaking.
This comes just days after a 7.7 earthquake off northern Iwate prefecture left six people injured and triggered tsunami waves along northern Japan's coast.
Japan, one of the world's most seismically active countries, experiences around 1,500 jolts every year and accounts for about 18 percent of the world's earthquakes.
