Japan earthquake live: Tsunami warning issued after quake strikes off northeastern coast

The Japanese PM's office says he has three instructions to the government regarding its response to the earthquake.

They are:

1. Provide timely and accurate information to the public about the earthquake, tsunami, any evacuations and more.
2. Assess any damage caused by the earthquake as soon as possible.
3. Act closely with local governments and prioritise human life in all efforts.

The Japanese prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has provided brief comments on the situation to reporters just a few moments ago.

She said the government set up an emergency task force to assess the extent of damage. 

"We are putting people's lives first and doing everything we can," Sanae said.

First reports of damages are coming through.

According to public broadcaster NHK, several people were injured at a hotel in the town of Hachinohe in the northeastern prefecture of Aomori.

Previously, the Japanese Meteorological Agency said a tsunami of 40cm had been observed at the ports of Mutsu Ogawara in the Aomori prefecture and Urakawa on the island of Hokkaido.

The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a tsunami warning, as we explained in our post at 15.09.

According to the JMA, this means that people in affected areas should adhere to the following advice:

• Evacuate from coastal or river areas immediately to "safer places";
• High ground or a tsunami evacuation building would be seen "safer places"; 
• Do not assume you are in a safe place as tsunami heights may exceed estimates due to coastal topography and over factors. Keep evacuating to higher and higher ground wherever possible;
• Do not leave evacuation areas until the tsunami warning has been cleared, as waves may hit repeatedly.　

The Japanese Meteorological Agency has issued an alert for tsunami waves up to three metres in height in the prefectures of Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate.

Images are coming through showing tsunami warnings displayed on televisions in Japan, with the three-metre height spelt out on screen. 

The earthquake took place about 45 minutes before midnight, with the epicentre located off the Japanese coast, according to the Japan Meteorological Society.

By now, tsunami waves appear to have got closer to the shore: the JMA says a tsunami of 40cm has been observed at the ports of Mutsu Ogawara in the Aomori prefecture and Urakawa on the island of Hokkaido.

A tsunami warning has been issued after the earthquake off Japan, with the country's Meteorological Agency warning of waves as high as three metres.

Japan has a three-tier system for tsunami warnings:

Major tsunami warning: A tsunami is expected to be greater than three metres with coastal areas needing to be immediately evacuated. Widespread damage to buildings near water is expected.

Tsunami warning: A tsunami of up to three metres is expected, with damage expected to low-lying buildings and an evacuation ordered.

Tsunami advisory: A tsunami of up to one metre is expected. This is a threat to those in the water and people are told to get out of the seas immediately.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, one of two tsunami warning centres in the US, has issued an update on the tsunami.

It says "hazardous" tsunami waves from the earthquake would be possible within 1,000km of the epicentre along the coasts of Japan and Russia.

The earthquake's epicentre is estimated to be located some 80km off Japan's northeastern coast.

Nuclear power plants in the Japanese regions struck by the earthquake are conducting safety checks after the incident, public broadcaster NHK is reporting.

We can now bring you more details on the incident off the Japanese coast.

The quake jolted a large part of Japan's north and east at 11.15pm local time (14.15 UK time). 

The epicentre of the quake was 80km off the coast of Aomori prefecture, at a depth of 50km, the Japan Meteorological Agency says.

The tsunami warning has been issued for the northern prefectures of Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate.