6.9 Earthquake - Iwate, 315 km south of Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

"A very strong magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit 315 km (196 mi) away from Sapporo, Hokkaido,

Japan, in the morning at 7.30 am local time (GMT +9). The quake had a shallow depth of 51 km (32 mi) and was felt over a large region. The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicenter than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would." VD