A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the south coast of Japan's main Honshu island on Sunday, the United States Geological Survey said, but no tsunami warning was issued.

The quake hit at 12:22 pm (0322 GMT), 644 kilometres (400 miles) south of Tokyo, at a depth of 424 kilometres, the USGS said.

Japan's Meteorological Agency said there was no risk of a tsunami.

Tokyo and its suburban Kanto region were rocked by minor tremors but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage, the agency said.

"We have received no reports of damage to properties nor reports of injuries so far," a spokesman for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department said.

The area is prone to earthquakes.

Another, weaker 4.2-magnitude quake struck at 7:27 pm in Fukushima prefecture in the northeast at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres and was felt throughout the region, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

It had no impact on the tsunami-ravaged Fukushima Daiichi plant, its operator Tokyo Electric Power Company said.