6.2-magnitude earthquake strikes Japan's Shimane, no tsunami warning issued

However, according to the country's weather agency, no tsunami warning has been issued, reports Kyodo News.

At 10:18 a.m. (local time), a tremor hit eastern Shimane Prefecture, registering upper 5 on Japan's seismic intensity scale of 7.

This was followed by additional quakes measuring lower 5, or M5.1, at 10:28 a.m. and 4, or M5.4, at 10:37 a.m.

The initial earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometres, local media reported, quoting the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Meanwhile, officials at the Shimane nuclear power plant in Matsue have confirmed that no abnormalities have been detected following the first earthquake.

The bullet train services in western Japan have also been halted due to a power outage after the initial shock.

The Sanyo Shinkansen Line services are halted between Okayama and Hiroshima stations, but are expected to resume at around 1 p.m., according to JR West. Other sections on the line are seeing delays, Kyodo News reported.

No one has been reported injured.

Earlier on December 31, last year, an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7 struck off Iwate Prefecture in northern Japan, the country's weather agency said.

The temblor occurred off Iwate's eastern coast at a depth of about 30 kilometres, measuring 4 on Japan's seismic scale of 7 in Iwate's Morioka City, said the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The quake's epicentre was located at a latitude of 40.1 degrees north and a longitude of 142.9 degrees east.

No tsunami advisory was issued.