6.1-magnitude earthquake strikes off Japan's Iwate Prefecture: JMA

TOKYO -- An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.1 struck off Iwate Prefecture in northeastern Japan early Sunday, the country's weather agency said. No tsunami warning was issued.

The temblor occurred at 5:21 am local time off Iwate's eastern coast at a depth of about 40 km, measuring lower 5 on Japan's seismic intensity scale of 7 in parts of Aomori and Iwate prefectures, said the Japan Meteorological Agency.

No abnormalities were reported at the Higashidori nuclear power plant in Aomori or at the Onagawa nuclear power complex in Miyagi Prefecture, according to their operator.

The quake's epicenter was located at a latitude of 40.2 degrees north and a longitude of 142.4 degrees east.

A 7.2-magnitude earthquake jolted the same region on Thursday, injuring at least 10 people. Elsewhere, Friday saw two quakes with a magnitude above 5 strike near Tokyo, with shaking clearly felt in the capital.