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A 5.1 quake jolts northern Japan, no major damage

TOKYO, Nov 3 (KUNA) -- An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 on the Richter scale struck Japan's northernmost island prefecture of Hokkaido on Friday, Japanese Meteorological Agency said Friday.
No immediate reports of major damage or injuries and no tsunami warning was issued for the 12:45 p.m. (0345 GMT) quake.
The main area of the tremor was off the southeastern coast of Hokkaido, about 850 km north of Tokyo, at a depth of 60 km, according to the weather agency.
The quake measured four on the Japanese seismic scale of seven in some areas in Hokkaido.
The agency defines an intensity of four as capable of causing dishes and objects in shelves rattle.
The Japanese scale measures how much places were shaken on the surface, while the Richter scale measures the energy of the quake itself.
Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, accounting for about 20 percent of the world's earthquakes of magnitude six or greater. (end) mk.mb