An earthquake measuring 5 magnitude on the Richter scale hit off the coast of Japan's Hokkaido island on Tuesday.
The epicentre of the earthquake occurred off the coast of Kushiro city, at a depth of 70 km, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.
No tsunami warning was issued, and there were no immediate reports of casualties or material damage as a result of the earthquake.
Japan is located at the meeting point of four tectonic plates, which makes it particularly vulnerable to seismic activity, and is also home to 100 active volcanoes.
An earthquake in 2011, with a magnitude of 9 on the Richter scale, and a tsunami, caused the death of more than 15,000 people, and a disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant.
