Magnitude 5.5 earthquake strikes southwestern Japan

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.5 hit a remote island in southwestern Japan on Thursday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The earthquake's epicentre was off the coast of the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima prefecture nearly 1,200 km from Tokyo, the agency said, adding that a tsunami warning had not been issued.

The quake hit at a depth of 20 km, giving it a seismic intensity of '6 lower' on Japan's 1-7 scale on Akuseki Island, the agency said. Akuseki has a population of 89.

The intensity is classified as a level that makes it "difficult to remain standing", according to the agency.

More than 1,000 tremors with a seismic intensity of 1 or above on the Japanese scale have been detected around the island chain between June 21 and July 3, the agency said.