TOKYO, Sept. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- Two strong earthquakes struck a wide range of areas in Japan Sunday evening, triggering warnings of tsunami tidal waves at various places and injuring at least three people, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

    An earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale hit coastal areas from east to southwest in Japan at 11:57 p.m. (1457 GMT) after a M6.9 quake hit western Japan 5 hours earlier.

    According to the agency, the 11:57 p.m. earthquake struck a dozen of prefectures and triggered two-meter high tsunami tidal waves at various places.

    The quake, measured 5 on the Japanese intensity scale of 7, wasfelt in wide areas including Tokyo and its neighboring prefectures,the agency said.

    The 7:07 p.m. (1007 GMT) quake measured lower 5 on the Japanese intensity scale of 7 in two prefectures and 4 in eight prefectures.It also triggered 50-cm high tsunami tidal waves. Its focus was inthe seabed off the Kii Peninsula.

    There were no immediate reports of damage caused by tsunami.

    Bullet train services in some quake-hit areas came to a temporary halt and some road companies also took emergency effortsto ensure traffic safety in the prefectures. Enditem