Moderate quake hits north Japan
TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) -- A moderately strong earthquake has hit northern Japan, causing buildings to shake in Tokyo, but there were no immediate reports of damage.
National broadcaster NHK said the quake, which struck at around 10:06 a.m. (0106 GMT) on Friday, measured 6.8.
It said the focus of the earthquake was 30 km (19 miles) below the surface off the coast of Fukushima prefecture in northeastern Japan.
NHK said the earthquake measured four on Japan's seismic intensity scale of seven in some areas of Miyagi prefecture, which is just north of Fukushima.
There was no risk of damage from tsunamis, NHK said.
An earthquake with a Japanese scale of four is considered strong enough to make hanging objects swing considerably and cause dishes in cupboards to rattle.
Japan sits atop the junction of at least three tectonic plates, immense slabs of the earth's crust whose gradual movements are thought to cause earthquakes, making it one of the world's most earthquake-prone regions.
A powerful 8.0 earthquake rocked Japan's northern island of Hokkaido late last month, injuring nearly 600 people and causing a fire to break out at an oil refinery.
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