The 6.8 magnitude temblor struck about 12:26 a.m. local time in Iwate and Aomori prefectures, the Kyodo news agency reported. The epicenter was was in the northern coastal area of Iwate prefecture and was about 67 miles deep, Kyodo said.

A central government fact-finding team was sent to the affected region and the Iwate prefectural government requested military troops be sent to help provide disaster relief.

The National Police Agency said 15 of the injured people were in serious condition. Many of the injured were struck by falling glass, police said.

Train service in the region was suspended, roads in the Tohoku region were temporarily closed, up to 10,000 households were without power and four fires were reported to have broken out.

Kyodo said there were no reports of any damage to nuclear facilities in the quake-hit areas.