Strong 5.9-magnitude earthquake hits central Japan

The quake was centred in Japan's Noto Peninsula, where a devastating quake on Jan 1 killed more than 230 people. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM USGS

TOKYO (AFP): A strong magnitude 5.9 earthquake on Monday shook the area of central Japan that was hit by a devastating jolt in January, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said, but there was no threat of a tsunami.

Three houses collapsed but there were no reports of deaths or injuries, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said after the shallow quake struck the Noto Peninsula at 6:31 am (2131 GMT Sunday).