Local officials said it was the worst flooding in the area for 60 years. Japan Jolted by Earthquake A fairly strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7 jolted northern Japan Monday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. Office buildings swayed in Tokyo, but the quake was most strongly felt in northwestern cities, including Ofunato in Miyagi and Morioka in Iwate Prefecture. Ofunato, a Pacific coastal town, is 250 miles, north of Tokyo, and Morioka is 290 miles north of the capital. A quake of magnitude 5 can damage homes and buildings if it occurs in a populated area.
Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone nations.