An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 struck off Iwate Prefecture in northeastern Japan on Thursday, the country's weather agency said.

The temblor occurred at 7:30 a.m. local time off Iwate's eastern coast at a depth of about 50 km, measuring upper 6 on Japan's seismic scale of 7 in Hashikami Town in Aomori Prefecture, said the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). The shaking was clearly felt in Tokyo.

The quake's epicenter was located at 40.2 degrees north latitude and 142.3 degrees east longitude.

No tsunami advisory was issued.