5.6 magnitude earthquake strikes Japan

Tokyo: An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.6 struck Japan's northern island of Hokkaido on Sunday, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.

According to the JMA, the quake was centred in the Tokachi-chiho Nambu region in Japan's northernmost prefecture.

The quake occurred at a depth of 110 km, the weather agency stated, but no tsunami warning or advisory was issued as a result.

There have been no immediate reports of major damage or injuries as a result of the quake, according to local authorities as well as local media accounts.

Japan's nuclear watchdog has not reported any abnormalities at nuclear power plants possibly affected by the quake and Hokkaido's sole Tomari Nuclear Power plant's operator has not reported any irregularities at the plant.