A strong earthquake shook northeast Japan on Friday, jolting the area devastated by a quake and tsunami in March, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
The Japan Meteorological Agency measured the quake at 6.0 and its depth at 50 kilometres. The tremor struck at 3.22am local time.
The United States Geological Survey said it was a 5.9-magnitude jolt, with its epicentre 18 kilometres from Iwaki city in Fukushima prefecture.
The operators of the Fukushima nuclear plant, severely damaged in March, said there were no additional problems from Friday's quake.
The tsunami generated by the 9.0-magnitude earthquake in March wiped out whole stretches of the country's northeast coast, leaving more than 20,000 people dead or missing. The Fukushima plant leaked radiation into the air, soil and sea, and forced thousands to leave their homes.
