5.7-manitude quake jolts off northeastern Japan

TOKYO - A 5.7-magnitude quake jolted off northeastern Japan at around 1:51 pm local time on Thursday without triggering tsunami warnings, said Japan's Meteorological Agency (JMA).

There were no immediate reports on damages and injuries.

The quake was registered at level 3 of the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in parts of Iwate, Miyagi and Akita prefectures, said the JMA.

The epicenter was initially detected at 39.6 degree of north latitude and 143.8 degree of east longitude, with a depth of 10 km.

A monstrous quake occurred near the same place of Thursday's moderate quake and devastated northeast Japan in March 2011, and an 8.5-magnitude quake hit off Ogasawara islands about 1000 km south of Tokyo last month.

Japan locates at the junction of several tectonic plates and is hit by a number of relatively strong quakes every year.