A magnitude 6.0

struck 58 km southeast of Shima, off Japan's Mie Prefecture coast, early Sunday, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The quake's epicentre was also located around 110 km south-southeast of Tsu, the capital of Mie Prefecture, which has a population of over 250,000. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 352 km.

No

was issued, and no immediate reports of damage or casualties were available.

Meanwhile, eyewitness accounts posted on the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) website described the tremor as prolonged, with some reporting that the initial gentle shaking gradually grew stronger.