Cars drive over a bridge protected by a tsunami sea wall in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, April 27. AFP-Yonhap

TOKYO — A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck northern Japan on Thursday, the country's weather agency said, adding that there was no tsunami warning.

The quake occurred off the northern region of Iwate, with the depth of the epicentre at 50 kilometres, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.