Quake measuring 6.9 recorded off Japan

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 hit off Japan's southern coast on Saturday, prompting the country's meteorological agency to issue a tsunami warning in the region.

The quake occurred off the coast of the island of Okinawa, Japan's southernmost prefecture, at a depth of 10 kilometres at 5:31 a.m. local time Saturday, the Meteorological Agency said.

The agency predicted a tsunami measuring up to one metre near the Okinawan coast. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

From Tokyo, the CBC's John Northcott said the tsunami warning is the second-highest warning that the agency can issue, and that it advises people to stay away from coastal regions.

He said that Okinawa, which is about 1,600 kilometres southwest of Tokyo, is a mostly rural area with farms and some resorts and that there are a number of military bases very close to where the quake occurred.

"The bulk of servicemen, of which there are 35,000, [are] housed in several bases around Okinawa," he said, adding they may be affected.

Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, but has stringent building codes designed to avert structural damage when tremors hit.