Officials say a strong earthquake has hit near Japan's eastern coast, but there is no danger of a tsunami.
Japan's Meteorological Agency says the quake struck today evening and registered a preliminary magnitude of 6.0. It was centred off the coast of Ibaraki, about 220 kilometres east of Tokyo, at a depth of 30 kilometres.
The agency says there is no danger of a tsunami. No injuries or damage have been reported.
Some 20,000 people died or were left missing across Japan's northeastern coast after a massive earthquake and tsunami on March 11. The disaster damaged a nuclear power plant, forcing another 100,000 people to leave their homes because of a radiation threat.
