A strong quake hit Niigata Prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast Sunday afternoon, the Meteorological Agency said.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, and no tsunami warning was issued.
The 12:49 p.m. quake measured an estimated magnitude of 4.2 on the open-ended Richter scale.
The quake registered 4 on the Japanese intensity scale of 7 in Takayanagi and 3 in Uragawara, Oshima, Maki, Yoshikawa and Oguni, all in Niigata prefecture, the agency said.
The focus of the quake was about 20 km underground in the middle of the prefecture, it said.
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