There were no immediate reports of injuries or major damage, and no tsunami threat was issued.

The quake struck at approximately 5:36 pm local time (08:36 GMT) at a depth of around 540 kilometers.

Tremors reaching level 3 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 were felt on Hahajima Island, closest to the epicenter.

Shaking was also reported in the northeastern prefectures of Miyagi and Fukushima, as well as prefectures closer to Tokyo like Ibaraki, Chiba, and Saitama.

JMA has initiated an investigation to determine the full impact of the earthquake and is expected to release further information in the coming hours. (ILKHA)