The tsunami alert was later lifted at 1am local time (2am AEST) .
Early reports put the epicentre of the 7.1 magnitude quake in the Pacific Ocean about 66km east of Sendai, or 330km north northeast of Tokyo, at a depth of between 26 and 40km.
The quake, which hit at 11.32pm local time (12.32am AEST), is believed to have caused power failures in large parts of northern Honshu and severely shaken buildings. Miyagi Prefecture police reported no major damage or casualties as of 11.55pm Japan time.
However, reports of minor injuries from falls or falling household effects were beginning to filter through on local media.
The sections of northern Honshu worst hit in the previous quake and tsunami were all rocked by the tremor, the largest since the March 11 quake.
