TOKYO >> Japan’s Meteorological Agency has issued a tsunami warning all along its eastern coast after a strong earthquake hit Samoa in the Pacific Ocean.

The agency warned Wednesday morning of a possible tsunami up to about 1.6 feet tall.

The agency warned the tsunami could hit all along Japan’s eastern coast, on an area ranging from Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido to the southern tip of Kyushu island, with the Okinawa islands to the far south also included.

The warning came after a powerful earthquake caused large tsunamis in Samoa and American Samoa, flattening villages and killing at least 34 people.