Tokyo:
A 6.0 magnitude earthquake hit western Japan early on Saturday, but there were no immediate reports of damage and no tsunami warning was issued, the nation's meteorological agency reported.
"Although there may be slight sea-level changes in coastal regions, the earthquake caused no damage to Japan," the agency said on its website.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) initially reported the quake's magnitude at 6.3 and said it had its epicentre 24 miles (38 km) northwest of Wakayama in western Honshu island, and occurred at a depth of 3.3 miles (5 km).
Kyodo news agency reported that was also no immediate reports of damage to the Ikata nuclear power plant in the area, citing its operator, Shikoku Electric Power.
© Thomson Reuters 2013