A 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck off the east coast of Honshu, Japan, 54 miles southeast of Hachinohe early Thursday, The U.S. Geological Survey reported.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning for Iwate Prefecture, but canceled it about an hour later. The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said it didn't expect a destructive tsunami from the quake.
The earthquake hit at a depth of 19.9 miles, according to the USGS. It struck 325 northeast miles from Tokyo. It was followed by several smaller aftershocks, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Thursday's earthquake hit in the same area off the northeast coast of Japan where a devastating magnitude 9 earthquake hit March 11, causing a huge tsunami. Around 23,000 people were left dead or missing from the twin disasters.
Japan is on the Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines spanning the Pacific Basin, and is regularly hit by earthquakes.
