A woman walks past a collapsed house on the Noto peninsula - the epicentre of the quake
Homes collapsed, buildings caught fire and roads were extensively damaged, hindering the work of rescue services.
The epicentre of the 7.6 quake was the Noto peninsula, in central Japan.
The Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, said that emergency services were locked in a "race against time" to rescue survivors.
He also said some 3,000 rescuers were trying to reach parts of the Noto peninsula. Helicopter surveys showed many fires and widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure. The city of Wajima, on the northern tip of Noto, has been cut off from land routes.
In the coastal city of Suzu in Ishikawa prefecture, some 90% of homes in the city had been "completely or nearly completely destroyed", mayor Masushiro Izumiya told news outlet Kyodo.
The Japanese military has been handing out supplies including food, water and blankets for those who have had to vacate their homes. The country's government has said that 57,360 people had to be evacuated.
Tens of thousands of meals are being delivered across the affected region.
-- Courtesy of BBC Sport