A huge 6.3-magnitude earthquake has struck off the eastern coast of Japan, close to the scene where the Fukushima nuclear disaster occurred. No immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The quake struck 255 east of Ishinomaki, Honshu, at a depth of 10km, the US Geological Survey said. The epicentre was about 300km from Fukushima, where a tsunami triggered by a huge earthquake crippled a nuclear reactor in 2011 and caused widespread destruction.

The Fukushima nuclear plant was destroyed in March 2011 by a 9-magnitude earthquake and the subsequent tsunami, exposing enormous amounts of radioactive material. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says there are currently no tsunami advisories or watches in place.

A USGS ShakeMap for the area reveals the earthquake occurred at around 5pm local time.

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