Police say one person has been reported to have been killed following the collapse of a building and another two suffered cardiac arrests following the 7.6 magnitude earthquake in Japan Monday.
The tremor has caused homes to collapse, ripped up roads and triggered tsunami warnings for coastal areas.
Thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes and many are spending the night in evacuation centres.
Military personnel have been handing out food, water and blankets.
The quake caused dozens of buildings to collapse in several towns, trapping an unknown number of people – but the full extent of the damage will be clearer once dawn comes
Earlier, tens of thousands were told to flee to higher ground, in the country’s first major tsunami warning since 2011.