After the initial earthquake hit at (12.26 GMT) on Thursday (April 14), aftershocks measuring 5.7 occurred soon after and a further 6.4 shock struck just after midnight local time, reports BBC News.
Thousands of locals fled their homes, with many spending the night in the town of Mashiki, near Kumamoto on the island of Kyushu.
About 16,000 homes were left without electricity and 38,000 without gas, it has been reported.
Japanese troops have been sent to the scene but rescue operations are being disrupted by aftershocks and officials believe people could be trapped under collapsed buildings.
There have been no reports of the incident affecting nuclear reactors on the island.
"The shaking was so violent I couldn’t stand still," Hironobu Kosaki, a local police official, told the Associated Press news agency.
Yasuhiro Soshino, of the Japanese Red Cross Kumamoto Hospital, told BBC World News on Friday morning that they had received 254 injured people including 15 severe cases.
"Red Cross medical teams in other areas are also gathering at our Red Cross hospital," he said.
Chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said at least 19 houses had collapsed and officials were still assessing the extent of the damage.
