An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 struck offshore 99 kilometers south-east of Russia's Kuril Islands and Japan’s north-east coast, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said on Thursday.

The US Tsunami Warning System said there was no tsunami threat to Guam, Rota, Tinian or Saipan from the earthquake, which the USGS said hit at a depth of 143 km. The Japan Meteorological Agency said there was no tsunami threat to Japan either.

NHK public television showed video monitors and shelves shaking at its office in Kushiro on the southeastern coast of Hokkaido. Hokkaido prefectural police said they had received no reports of damage or injuries. 

Officials said the quake was unlikely to cause any damage because of its depth and distance from the coast.

Japan was hit by another earthquake yesterday, of 5.2 magnitude, that hit off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture.

In 2011, Fukushima was the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl when a 9.1-magnitude earthquake caused a tsunami that flooded the nuclear power plant and led to a radiation leak. 

Witnesses said they had felt a 10-second long shake during the tremor at around 7.30pm local time. One witness told earthquake monitoring service EMSC that the quake produced a 'weak but long shake' lasting about 10 seconds.

The wave flooded the nuclear power plant and caused a massive meltdown, spewing out radiation that forced 160,000 people to flee their homes. 

Japan is located on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire' and is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries.