Tsunami alerts issued after an 8.1-magnitude earthquake struck near Japan's northern coast have been lifted, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. However, Japan's Meteorological Agency, on its website, showed watches were still in effect for most of the eastern Pacific coast of Hokkaido. Residents along Japan's Pacific coast had been told to flee the tsunami after the quake hit on Wednesday at 8:14 pm (1114 GMT) deep under the Pacific Ocean about 1,700 kilometres northeast of Tokyo.