6.4-magnitude earthquake rocks Japan, govt sets up crisis centre
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A few minutes after the quake, the Japanese government set up a liaison office on the quake under the risk management center of the prime minister's office.
After a 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck the country's southwestern region on Friday, Japan formed a crisis response centre under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's chancellery, according to Japanese media.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the severe earthquake struck near the island of Kyushu at 16:08 GMT, with the epicentre at a depth of 40 kilometres (24.8 miles) undersea.
According to the Kyodo news agency, earthquakes registering five on the Japanese seven-point seismic intensity scale were detected in the Miyazaki and Oita prefectures, indicating vibrations severe enough to prevent walking.
The quake was also felt in western and central Japan, although it did not result in a tsunami, according to the agency.
So far, no information on casualties or material damage has been received.
The earthquake had no effect on the operations of Japan's Kyushu Electric Power Company's Genkai and Sendai nuclear power reactors, which are both located in Kyushu.
According to the Japanese NHK broadcaster, no problems with the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant, which is located on the nearby island of Shikoku, have been reported.
No tsunami is feared following the earthquake, agency officials said.
(With inputs from agencies)