Magnitude 7.2 quake strikes off Japan, triggering tsunami alert

A powerful earthquake has struck off the coast of northern Japan, triggering a tsunami alert.

The 7.2 magnitude quake struck at 11.15pm on Monday (1.15am on Tuesday AEDT) about 70 kilometres off the coast of Hokkaido, near the city of Aomori, with an epicentre about 50 kilometres below the sea…