An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 hit western Japan on Tuesday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
The epicenter of the earthquake was the eastern part of Shimane Prefecture, the agency said, adding that a tsunami warning had not been issued, Reuters reported.
The US Geological Survey recorded a slightly lower 5.8 magnitude reading.
The earthquake registered an upper five on Japan’s Shindo intensity scale in the western city of Yasugi, a strength at which heavy furniture can topple and drivers may find it difficult to steer.
The JMA said that the same region was hit soon afterwards by smaller quakes with magnitudes of 4.5, 5.1, 3.8 and 5.4.
Japan sits on top of four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and is one of the world's most seismically active countries.
The archipelago, home to around 125 million people, experiences around 1,500 jolts every year.
The vast majority are mild, although the damage they cause varies according to their location and depth below the Earth's surface, AP reported.
(With inputs from agencies)
