PM visits Hokkaido as toll hits 42

TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the quake-hit northern region of Hokkaido on Sunday, as officials confirmed two more deaths bringing the toll to 42.

Abe toured the city and commercial hub of Sapporo, where Thursday's 6.6-magnitude jolt has left houses tilted and roads cracked.

He also visited hard-hit Atsuma, a small rural town which has seen most of the deaths caused by the quake.