Minor tsunami hits northeastern Japan after strong quake

A minor tsunami hit Miyagi prefecture in Japan early Saturday after a strong 6.8-magnitude quake jolted the country's northeastern Pacific coast, prompting advisories for regions including around the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant. A tsunami of 20 centimeters was observed at 5.12 am (2012 GMT Friday) in Ishinomaki, Miyagi prefecture, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The agency had issued a tsunami advisory for Miyagi as well as neighbouring Fukushima and Iwate prefectures, warning that a wave of up to one metre (3.3 feet) could impact their Pacific coastlines after the quake. Large areas of the coastline covered by the advisory are still recovering from the 2011 quake and tsunami disaster that killed more than 18,000 people and triggered a meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Plant operators Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) said there were no immediate reports of abnormality after Saturday's quake. ‘We have not seen any damage or any change in radiation gauges after the quake,’ said TEPCO spokesman Masahiro Asaoka. ‘Today's operation has yet to start but we ordered workers to evacuate to high places,’ Asaoka said. The meteorological agency advised people to leave the coast immediately, while Japan's public broadcaster NHK said some local authorities had issued evacuation advisories to their residents, according to Yahoo News.