Quake with 7.1 magnitude hits western Japan, no major damage reported

TOKYO - An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 hit southwestern Japan on Thursday, triggering tsunami advisories, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said, but there were no immediate signs of major damage.

There have been no reports of abnormalities at nuclear power plants following the quake, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters.

The government has not heard of any damage to key infrastructure such as power and water supplies, Hayashi said.

The quake occurred at around 4:43 p.m. (0743 GMT) off Miyazaki prefecture on the western major island of Kyushu, the JMA said.

Some of the tsunami advisories, originally issued for the Pacific coast of the major western islands of Kyushu and Shikoku, have been lifted, except for Miyazaki.

A JMA panel, convened after the quake, believes there is now a "relatively higher chance" of another major earthquake occurring near western Japan's Pacific coast, Hayashi added.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he intended look into whether to follow through with his travel plan over the next few days.

Kishida is scheduled to visit Nagasaki on Friday to mark the 79th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing, followed by visits to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Mongolia.

Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries. More than 15,000 people were killed in a magnitude 9 quake in 2011 that triggered a devastating tsunami and triple reactor meltdowns at a nuclear power plant.