Japan has issued a tsunami warning following a 7.6 magnitude earthquake at the western coastline near the centre of the Asian country.
An estimated 36,000 homes were left without power as the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning along western coastal regions of Ishikawa, Niigata and Toyama prefecture, The Standard news agency reports.
A tsunami of up to 5 metres high is thought to be reaching Noto in Ishikawa Prefecture, according to the weather agency.
According to NHK report, waves more than 1 metre high hit the coast of Wajima City in Ishikawa Prefecture.
Local media reported the tsunami waves could keep returning, and warnings were continually broadcasted nearly an hour after the initial alert.
The Japanese government has set up a special emergency center to gather information on the quakes and tsunami and relay them speedily to residents to ensure safety, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters.
Japanese news footage showed a crumbled house in Wajima city, Ishikawa Prefecture, and a search was underway to see if people were trapped in the rubble.
Bullet trains in the area were halted. Parts of the highway were also closed, and water pipes burst.
Japanese media reports showed a crowd of people, including a woman with a baby on her back, standing by huge cracks that had ripped through the pavement.
A tsunami nearly 10ft high (3m) was expected to hit Niigata and other prefectures on the western coast of Japan.
Smaller tsunami waves were already confirmed to have reached the coastline, according to NHK.
