JAPAN has issued a tsunami advisory after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck the country on Monday.

The quake was at a depth of 23 miles and mainly hit the southwestern Kyushu region, said the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre.

Tsunami warnings were issued for Miyazaki Prefecture, where the temblor was centered, in the southwestern island of Kyushu, as well as nearby Kochi Prefecture, shortly after the quake struck at 9.19 p.m. local time, according to the agency.

The extent of damage was not immediately clear.

Japan is frequently hit by earthquakes because of its location along the Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.

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