1 hour, 1 minute ago
TOKYO - A strong earthquake rocked northern Japan late Friday night, the country's meteorological agency said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, and no tsunami warning was issued.
The quake with preliminary magnitude 6.4 struck at 10:17 p.m. (8:17 a.m. EST) and was centered 25 miles below the sea off the coast of Miyagi prefecture, about 190 miles north of Tokyo, according to the ministry.
Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries because it sits atop four tectonic plates. A 7.2-magnitude earthquake shook northeastern Japan in August, injuring at least 59 people, triggering landslides, damaging buildings and causing widespread power outages.