The epicenter of the quake, which occurred at 23.23 local time (9.23 ET), was 73.9 kilometers northeast of Namie, a coastal town 60 km from Fukushima, according to the US Geological Survey.
On March 11, 2011, Japan hit an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0. More than 20,000 people died or went missing in the earthquake and tsunami, while hundreds of thousands of people lost their homes.
The quake also caused the worst nuclear disaster in the country – three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant melted and released radioactive materials into the air and more than 100,000 people were evacuated from the area.
About 830,000 households in the Kanto region, which includes Tokyo, and about 90,000 households in the Tohoku region were without power after Saturday’s quake, Kato added.
Kato also said Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga had instructed the government to investigate the damage of the earthquake, carry out rescue efforts where necessary, and to pass on information to the public in a timely manner.