The northern region of Tohoku felt "a strong jolt" from the quake, which happened at 10:13 pm (1313 GMT), according to the meteorological agency.

The quake was located off the Pacific coast of northern Miyagi prefecture, roughly 350 kilometers (220 miles) northeast of Tokyo.

The quake happened 40 kilometers underground, the agency said, adding that there was no tsunami warning.

A spokesman for the Miyagi police said there were no reports of damage or casualties.

The areas around Miyagi frequently experience large earthquakes, and experts fear a big one could hit the region in the near future.

The area in August was hit by a 7.2-strong quake, which shut down traffic but caused little other damage.

Friday's quake was also felt strongly in the center of Tokyo, shaking high-rise buildings designed to withstand powerful tremors.

The quake followed a moderate earthquake measuring 4.3 on the Richter Scale that hit central Japan.

The first tremor struck at 9:54 pm (12:54 GMT) about 50 kilometersmiles) underground in Saitama prefecture, just north of Tokyo, the agency said.

Japan experiences 20 percent of the world's major earthquakes.