TOKYO: A moderate, 5.2-magnitude offshore earthquake hit northern Japan on Saturday, the US Geological Survey said. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage and no tsunami alert was issued.

The quake struck at 5:42 pm (0842 GMT) around 152 kilometres (94 miles) southeast of Sapporo, Hokkaido, at a depth of 115 kilometres in the Pacific, the US agency said.

Around 20 per cent of the world's most powerful earthquakes strike Japan.

- AFP/yb