6.7 magnitude quake hits off Japan

A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 struck off the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido on Thursday, the US Geological Survey said, with Japanese authorities saying there was no danger of a tsunami.

The quake hit at 12:25 pm off the southern coast of the island, at a location about 750 kilometres north of Tokyo, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The quake was measured at a depth of 50 kilometres, it said.

No damage or injuries were immediately reported though heavy shaking was captured on camera footage shown on public broadcaster NHK.

Japan sits at the junction of four tectonic plates and experiences around 20 percent of the world's most powerful earthquakes.

But rigid building codes and strict enforcement mean even powerful tremors frequently do little damage.

On Tuesday, a strong 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck off Hokkaido.

A massive undersea quake that hit in March 2011 sent a tsunami barrelling into Japan's northeast coast, killing more than 15,000 people and sending three reactors into meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant.

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