TOKYO: Japan's meteorological agency lifted a tsunami advisory around an hour after a 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the country's northeastern coast on Saturday, causing no immediate damage or injuries.

The strong quake, which was originally estimated as 7.2 magnitude, hit at 6:09 pm (0909 GMT) in Pacific waters off the Miyagi region with a depth of about 60 kilometres (37 miles), the JMA said, issuing an advisory for tsunami waves of around one metre.

Thousands of households received evacuation warnings over the tsunami alert, which was lifted at around 7:30pm (1030 GMT), prompting municipalities to also end the evacuation measures.

Local utilities and the nation's nuclear authority said the region's nuclear plants did not show any abnormalities after the latest quake, although local railway firms suspended services, including the high-speed Shinkansen bullet trains.

The US Geological Service put the strength of the quake at 7.0 magnitude.

The quake and tsunami advisory come not long after Japan marked a decade since the catastrophic 9.0-magnitude earthquake of March 11, 2011, which triggered a killer tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear meltdown.