Tokyo: Japan issued a tsunami advisory for Iwate prefecture in the north of the country on Sunday, public broadcaster NHK said, asking residents to stay away from coastal areas.

A tsunami was observed 70 km (45 miles) off the coast of Iwate Prefecture at 5:12 p.m. (0812 GMT) and was expected to reach the Pacific coastline soon, NHK said. The wave was expected to be about 1 metre (3 feet, 3 inches), it said.

An earthquake of magnitude 6.26 earlier struck off the east coast of Japan's largest island, Honshu, which includes Iwate, according to the US tsunami warning system.

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