M6.8 quake jolts northern and northeastern Japan

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 struck northern and northeastern Japan on Saturday, but no tsunami warning was issued, the weather agency said.

Despite its relatively large size, the earthquake did not cause severe jolting or tsunami as its focus was deep, about 490 kilometers underground.

The earthquake, which hit off Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido at 12:29 p.m., measured a 3 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in Hakodate, as well as parts of Aomori and Iwate prefectures.

While Japan has been on alert for a potential massive quake occurring along the Nankai Trough in the Pacific since a magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit southwestern Japan on Thursday, the latest quake off Hokkaido appears to have no link with the feared megaquake, as its epicenter is far from the closely monitored trough.

M6.8 quake jolts northern and northeastern Japan

M6.8 quake jolts northern and northeastern Japan

M6.8 quake jolts northern and northeastern Japan

M6.8 quake jolts northern and northeastern Japan

M6.8 quake jolts northern and northeastern Japan