Strong aftershocks rattled western Japan early today after two powerful earthquakes injured 38 people yesterday.
A powerful typhoon also hit Japan's southern islands, injuring 21 people. The Meteorological Agency warned the storm could bring heavy rains and mudslides to areas hit by the quakes.
The two offshore quakes yesterday - the first with a magnitude of 6.9 followed by a 7.3-magnitude quake five hours later - were felt most strongly in sparsely populated areas in south-western Wakayama prefecture, about 450 kilometres west of Tokyo.
They also shook the major cities of Osaka, Kyoto and Nagoya, and caused buildings to sway in Tokyo.
Aftershocks continued to rattle the region early today, including a magnitude-5.7 tremor, according to the Meteorological Agency. No damage or injuries were immediately reported.
The University of Tokyo's Earthquake Research Institute predicted tremors could last for the next ten days and advised people living along the coast to evacuate to higher ground.
Also today, Typhoon Songda was packing winds of up to 90 miles per hour as it headed across the East China Sea toward Japan's southernmost main island of Kyushu, the Meteorological Agency said.
Police said 21 people had been injured by the storm and tens of thousands of homes were without electricity.