Quake hits northern Japan

A strong earthquake shook northern Japan today and the country’s Meteorological Agency issued tsunami warnings.

The magnitude 6.9 quake was centred off the coast of Sanriku in northern Japan, the agency said.

The agency said tsunamis as high as 50 centimeters (19.5 inches) could reach coastlines on Japan's Pacific Coast in Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima and Hokkaido.

There were no immediate reports of injuries, according to national broadcaster NHK.