A strong earthquake shook central Japan on Saturday night , injuring dozens of people and destroying homes in a well-known ski resort , authorities said . Reports differed on the intensity of the quake , centered in a remote mountainous area of Nagano prefecture . The Japan Meteorological Agency reported it was magnitude 6.8 ; the U.S. Geological Survey ( USGS ) said it was magnitude 6.2 . One of the hardest hit areas was the skiing village of Hakuba , where at least seven housing and storage structures collapsed . Seven of the 39 people hurt in the quake suffered serious injuries , Nagano prefectural police said . Japanese television stations carried images of landslides that had cut off roads and railroads , as well as flattened houses and warped highways . More than 300 rescue workers were deployed to search for people trapped in collapsed homes . Authorities said the rescue operation was completed . No electric facilities , including nuclear power plants , were damaged , the Tokyo Electric Power Co. said via Twitter Saturday . Aftershocks followed the main quake Saturday night , including one measured at magnitude 4.1 , the Japan Meteorological Agency said .
Thirty-nine people are injured , seven of them seriously , police say . The quake destroys homes in a popular ski resort in Nagano prefecture . No electric facilities were damaged , power company says . Quake reported at 6.8 magnitude by Japanese agency ; USGS says it was 6.2 .