An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 hit the western Chugoku region of Japan on Tuesday, Jan. 6, followed by a series of sizeable aftershocks, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

A strong earthquake hit western Japan on Tuesday (January 6, 2026) but there was no danger of a tsunami, officials said.

Several aftershocks followed the main quake, including a magnitude 5.1 tremor, and the shaking was felt as far as Osaka, prompting emergency alerts across western Japan.

On Wednesday, Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority announced that it is halting the relicensing process for two reactors at the Hamaoka plant after revelations that the operator fabricated seismic haz...