6.3 magnitude earthquake shakes S. Japan

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.3 hit off the coast of southern Japan on Friday but no tsunami warning was issued and there were no immediate reports of damage, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The quake struck at 8.48 a.m. local time (2348 GMT Thursday), with its epicentre off the coast of Miyazaki prefecture at a depth of 20 km (12 miles), the agency said.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) put the magnitude of the quake at 6.4.