The quake hit 218 miles (351 km) east of Sendai, Honshu, at a depth of 5.9 miles (9.5 km).
It is unclear yet if there was any damage to villages and towns on the east coast.
Japan is located on the Ring of Fire, faults lines in the Earth’s crust around the Pacific Ocean, which is a hotspot for earthquake activity.
Last month the nation was rocked by a 5.8 magnitude quake.
In 2011, 15,894 people were killed after a 9.1 magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami with waves of up to 33ft (10m).
The disaster devastated buildings and infrastructure that led to significant accidents at four major nuclear power stations.
More to follow…