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According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck 70 miles south of Sapporo on the island of Hokkaido.
The residents of the city were awakened by a strong shake shortly after 19:00 (local time, 3:00 Thursday, local time) while the earth moved for about 20 seconds.
Reports of power outages in the northernmost prefecture of Japan were broadcast on social networks.
A Twitter user said, "I just woke up with a huge earthquake in Sapporo. I've already lived quite a bit and I'm shaking like a leaf right now. In fact, we are receiving a reply right now … "
The tremors struck at an approximate depth of 20 miles, according to data from the USGS.
No tsunami warnings were issued following the earthquake, initially reported as magnitude 7.0.
The epicenter was only 16 miles from the city of Chitose, which is home to Hokkaido's main airport.
A Twitter user named Licia said, "My friends. We have just had a major earthquake in Japan. #Hokkaido. #Sapporo. We are in the dark, but otherwise good. OMG! It was huge. No information on the extent. Internet still works for the moment.
The USGS said the earthquake is not expected to generate a tsunami because of its intensity, depth and historic tsunami records.
Sapporo is the capital of Hokkaido prefecture with a population of nearly two million inhabitants.
The earthquake comes just hours after Typhoon Jebi struck the prefectures of southern Japan.
At least 10 people are reported to have died and more than 100 people were reported injured in damage to buildings and roads from high winds.
The cities of Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto, which make up the Kansai region, have been among the worst affected with 135 mph winds.
More soon…
