BREAKING NEWS

6.3 quake hits off Japanese coast; no damage seen

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 has rattled northern Japan.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said there was no danger of a tsunami. The quake occurred off the coast of the northern main island of Hokkaido at a depth of 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) at 11:23 a.m. Friday (0223 GMT). The epicenter was about 280 kilometers (174 miles) east of Hokkaido.
Police official Esao Akatsuka said he received no reports of damage. He said, "Nothing fell off from bookshelves."
Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries. In 1995, a magnitude-7.2 quake in the western port city of Kobe killed 6,400 people.