Earthquake of magnitude 6.2 jolts Japan, no tsunami warning issued

A strong earthquake shook eastern Japan on Friday evening with a magnitude of 6.2, according to public broadcaster NHK, which said there was no tsunami warning.

The temblor struck 1003 GMT, shaking buildings in Tokyo as well as surrounding prefectures, according to local media.

There were no immediate reports of major damage.

Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world’s most seismically active areas. Japan accounts for about one-fifth of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.

On March 11, 2011, the northeast coast was struck by a magnitude 9 earthquake, the strongest quake in Japan on record, and a massive tsunami. Those events triggered the world’s worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl a quarter of a century earlier.