Quake-Struck Hokkaido Accounts for 3.5% of Japan's Economy

Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, which was struck by a strong earthquake overnight, is a famed area for agriculture and open spaces that accounts for about 3.5 percent of the nation’s economy.

While there are no economic projections on the damage yet, the magnitude-6.7 temblor is the latest in a string of natural disasters from floods to heat waves that have hit Japan this summer. Some local communities have suffered greatly, particularly from flooding in western Japan, without making a significant dent yet in overall economic outlook.