Magnitude 5.3 earthquake hits Japan

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Japan on Thursday, hitting areas near Tokyo, the weather agency and local authorities said.

It was strong quake but no tsunami warning was issued, and there were no immediate reports of casualties.

The quake struck around 9.08am, with an epicentre located on southern Ibaraki Prefecture in eastern Japan, Kyodo News quoted the Japan Meteorological Agency.

It registered lower 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in Tochigi and Saitama prefectures, 4 in Ibaraki and 3 in Tokyo, the agency said.