5.3 Magnitude Quake Jolts Japan

Tokyo: An earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale struck Japan's Ibaraki prefecture on Monday, the weather agency said.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the temblor struck at 6.59 a.m., and registered 3 on Japan's seismic intensity scale which peaks at 7, Xinhua news agency reported.

The epicentre was located at a latitude of 35.9 degrees north and a longitude of 141.0 degrees east, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The agency also said the quake struck at a depth of 10 km on Japan's eastern seaboard.

The agency has not issued a tsunami warning or advisory based on this moderately powerful, coastal quake.