TOKYO -- A tsunami advisory was issued for part of southwest Japan after a magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Monday, but the warnings to stay away from coastal areas were later lifted. A few instances of minor damage were reported. Japan’s Meteorological Agency initially estimated the magnitude was 6.9 but later revised it to 6.6.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency withdrew a tsunami advisory after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake occurred off the coast of southwest Japan.

A strong earthquake struck southwestern Japan, the U.S. Geological Survey said, prompting authorities to issue a tsunami advisory.

A nearly 7.0 earthquake rocked southern Japan on Monday with no reports of damage to the two nuclear power plants in the area.

TOKYO — A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 has hit southwestern Japan, the country’s Meteorological Agency said Monday, while warning the public to stay away from coastal areas because of a tsunami threat.

A 6.9-magnitude earthquake rocked the southwestern part of Japan on Monday, Jan. 13, prompting a tsunami advisory to be issued, authorities said. The Japan Meteorological Agency said in a statement the quake happened with its epicenter in the Hyuga-Nada Sea around 9:19 p.m., local time, adding that seismic activity has continued since then.

The quake was centered just offshore of Kyushu, about 7 miles east of the coastal town of Miyazaki, about 520 miles southwest of Tokyo. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded it as a preliminary 6.8-magnitude quake, and data from the agency indicated “strong” shaking in Miyazaki.

A 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck off Japan's southwest coast Monday. Tsunami warnings for nearby areas have been lifted.

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 has hit southwestern Japan, the country’s Meteorological Agency said Monday, while warning the public to stay away from coastal areas because of a tsunami threat.