Strong quake hits off Japan coast

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 has struck under the sea several hundred miles south of Japan, shaking buildings in the capital, but officials said there was no danger of a tsunami.

The quake struck near the uninhabited island of Torishima in the Pacific Ocean, about 370 miles south of Tokyo, and its epicentre was about 230 miles below the sea, the Meteorological Agency said.

The agency said there was no danger of a tsunami.

Buildings in the Tokyo area shook but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. Express trains in northern and central Japan were suspended temporarily for safety checks but later resumed services.

No abnormalities were reported at power plants in the region, including the crippled nuclear power plant hit by the March earthquake and tsunami, public broadcaster NHK reported.

North-eastern Japan was devastated by a massive earthquake and tsunami on March 11 that left nearly 20,000 people dead or missing. Japan, which lies along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," is one of the world's most seismically active countries.