A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9 has jolted northern Japan in the latest aftershock to hit a region struck by a deadly tremor last month.
The earthquake struck at 11:15 a.m. local time today and its focus was near those of the other quakes that have hit the Niigata region, the Meteorological Agency said. A series of smaller quakes followed. No tsunami warning was issued.
Public broadcaster NHK said a 68-year-old worker at a construction site was being treated in hospital after being buried in a landslide and six people were slightly injured when they were hit by parts of a wall that collapsed.
High-speed bullet trains in the area were temporarily halted and parts of local highways closed for safety checks, NHK said.
The Niigata region, 150 miles north of Tokyo, was hit by a 6.8 magnitude earthquake on October 23rd that killed at least 39 people.
That was Japan's deadliest quake since one with a magnitude of 7.2 killed more than 6,400 in Kobe in 1995.