Magnitude 6.1 quake hits Tokyo area, no injuries

TOKYO, Oct 7 (KUNA) -- An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.1 on the Richter scale struck Tokyo and its vicinity on Thursday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
However, there were no immediate reports of major damage. No tsunami warning was issued for the 10:41 p.m. (1341 GMT) quake. An operator of a nuclear plant in the affected area said there were no signs of abnormalities at the facilities. Shinkansen bullet train services between Tokyo and Shizuoka stations are currently suspended.
The focus of the temblor was in Chiba Prefecture adjacent to Tokyo, at a depth of 80 km, the weather agency said. The quake measured upper 5 on the Japanese seismic scale of 7 in parts of Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture.
The weather agency defines an intensity of upper 5 as strong enough to make most dishes in a cupboard and most books on a bookshelf fall.
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.aa