The epicenters were about 82 miles apart, with the Tomioka earthquake about 154 miles from Tokyo.<\/b>
\nTwo moderate earthquakes struck off Japan’s northeastern coast today, the U.S. Geological Survey said \u2014 a magnitude 5.5 tremor about 39 miles east of Onagawa Ch\u014d and a magnitude 5.0 quake roughly 38 miles east of Tomioka.
No immediate reports of damage or tsunami warnings were issued in connection with either event.Japan Earthquakes: Where were the epicenters of the earthquakes today?
The epicenters were about 82 miles apart, with the Onagawa quake occurring around 235 miles northeast of Tokyo and the Tomioka quake about 154 miles from the capital.
Japan sits along the seismically active «Ring of Fire» and experiences hundreds of earthquakes each year, though most cause little or no damage thanks to strict building codes and extensive disaster preparedness measures. The country has endured some of the world’s most devastating quakes, including the magnitude 9.0 disaster in 2011 that triggered a tsunami and nuclear crisis in Fukushima. Authorities closely monitor seismic activity, and Japan’s early warning systems are considered among the most advanced globally.
Last month, a massive magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, triggering Pacific-wide tsunami warnings and sparking evacuations along coastal areas. Waves as high as 13 feet hit parts of Russia’s far east, and alerts extended to Japan, the United States, Chile and New Zealand. More than 1,400 aftershocks, including one of magnitude 6.9, followed the quake, raising concerns of continued seismic activity. Despite its strength, officials reported limited damage.<\/p>\n