Earthquake Hits Northern Japan - No Damage

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 hit Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, the Meteorological Agency said.

There were no reports of damage or casualties.

The agency said the quake, which struck southeastern Hokkaido, about 900 km (560 miles) north of Tokyo, at 09:03 a.m. (0003 GMT) on Saturday, would not trigger tsunami.

Japan sits at the junction of at least three tectonic plates, immense slabs of the earth's crust whose gradual movements are thought to cause earthquakes, making it one of the world's most earthquake-prone regions.