6.2 earthquake jolts Japan’s eastern coast, shakes buildings in Tokyo

A strong 6.2 magnitude earthquake (on the Richter scale) struck eastern Tokyo city in Japan on Friday, local media reported citing the meteorological agency.

The epicentre was recorded at a depth of 50 kilometres off eastern Chiba Prefecture on Friday at 7.03 pm (10.03 GMT). No tsunami warning has been issued so far.

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The quake was felt strongly in the capital Tokyo city, forcing railway officials to briefly stop train services in the area and runways at Narita Airport, an international gateway to Tokyo, were closed temporarily. Tremors were also felt inthe adjoining areas of Chiba and Ibaraki prefectures, the Japanese Times newspaper reported.

Train services were stopped briefly in the area and runways at Narita Airport, an international gateway to Tokyo, were closed temporarily when the tremors started.

The nuclear plants were also left largely unscathed by the temblor, with no abnormalities being detected, the national nuclear authority said.

As Tokyo residents felt shaking, the nation's advance warning system for earthquakes prompted television networks to alert the arrival of a potentially large eartquake.

"It was like being on a boat floating on water -- sideways rocking that seemed to go on for more than 30 seconds," said a presenter on public broadcaster NHK.There were no immediate reports of major damage.

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Japan has strict construction regulations intended to ensure buildings can withstand strong quakes, and routinely holds emergency drills to prepare people for major disasters.

Friday’s tremors come just three weeks after a magnitude 6.5 quake was reported off Ishikawa Prefecture, killing one man and injuring several others.

Japan is one of the world’s most seismically active areas, accounting for about one-fifth of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater. Hence, such temblors are pretty common in the Asian country.

It recorded its strongest quake in March 2011 after a massive 9 magnitude struck the northeast coast, triggering a massive tsunami thatleft around 18,500 people dead or missing.

The 2011 tsunami also sent three reactors into meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant, causing Japan's worst post-war disaster and the most serious nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986.

The Japanese capital was devastated by a huge earthquake a centuryagoin1923.

(With inputs from agencies)