Strong quake shakes northern Japan

TOKYO (AP) - A strong earthquake jolted northern Japan on Sunday, rattling buildings for several seconds and dislodging items from store shelves.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The 6.2-magnitude tremor was centered about 50 kilometers (31 miles) under the seabed off the coast of northern Miyagi prefecture (state), the Meteorological Agency said.

The tremor, which struck at 12:37 p.m. (0337 GMT), was most strongly felt in Monou, a town located about 350 kilometers (217 miles) northeast of Tokyo, the agency said.

Noriko Miura, a cashier at a convenience store in Monou, said buildings in the area swayed for more than 10 seconds and crackers and other small items fell from shelves, but there appeared to be no structural damage.

There were no reports of injuries or damage to buildings or roads, said Kazuyoshi Saito, a police spokesman in the nearby city of Kessennuma. Public broadcaster NHK television said bullet-train service in some areas was suspended.

There was no danger of tsunami, powerful waves caused by seismic activity, the agency said. An earthquake of magnitude 6 can inflict widespread damage in populated areas.

Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, sitting atop four tectonic plates, slabs that move across the earth's surface. - AP

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