M 5.7 quake jolts northern Japan, no major damage

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.7 on the Richter scale struck Japan's northernmost island prefecture of Hokkaido on Thursday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. There were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries. No tsunami warning was issued for the 4:01 p.m. (0701 GMT) quake. The focus of the tremor was off the coast of Kushiro in southeastern Hokkaido, about 900 km north of Tokyo, at a depth of 60 km, the weather agency said. The quake registered four on the Japanese seismic scale of seven in southeastern parts of Hokkaido. The agency defined an intensity of four as capable of causing dishes and objects in shelves rattle. Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, accounting for about 20 percent of earthquakes of magnitude six or greater around the globe. Source: Kuwait News Agency