Japan issues tsunami advisory after 6.8 quake

TOKYO: An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 struck off Japan's northeast coast Friday, triggering a tsunami warning, the Japanese Meteorological Agency said.

The quake, which swayed buildings in Tokyo, struck at a depth of 20 kilometres (12 miles) at 0536 GMT, off the Fukushima coast, according to a preliminary report from the agency.

Waves of up to 50 centimetres (20 inches) were forecast to hit areas along the northeast coast including where the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is situated.

There were no immediate reports of damage.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011