From correspondents in Kanto, Japan, 04:32 PM IST

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.1 on the Richter scale hit eastern Japan Saturday afternoon.

The epicenter of the quake was about 50 km under the seabed of Ibaraki prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The quake sent moderate shockwaves across a wide area of eastern Japan, including Tokyo.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, Kyodo news agency said.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)