Massive earthquake strikes Japan, triggering tsunami warning

TOKYO (Reuters) — A massive earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 hit central Japan on Monday, triggering a tsunami warning and advisories for residents to evacuate.

A tsunami around 1 meter high struck parts of the coast along the Sea of Japan with a larger wave expected, public broadcaster NHK reported.

The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued tsunami warnings for the coastal prefectures of Ishikawa, Niigata and Toyama.

Hokuriku Electric Power said it is checking for any irregularities at its nuclear power plants, NHK reported.