M 5.2 quake hits northeastern Japan, no injuries

A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.2 on the Richter scale shook northeastern Japan on Wednesday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. There were no immediate reports of casualties from the 12:05 p.m. (0305 GMT) quake. No tsunami warning was issued. The quake measured 4 on the Japanese seismic scale of 7 in Ishinomaki City of Miyagi Prefecture, according to the agency. The agency defines an intensity of 4 as capable of causing dishes and objects in shelves rattle. The Japanese scale measures how much places were shaken on the surface while the Richter scale measures the energy of the quake itself. The focus of the tremor was off the coast of Miyagi Prefecture, about 350 km north of Tokyo, at a depth of about 40 km. Northeastern Japan was severely damaged on March 11 by a magnitude 9. 0-quake and tsunami that left nearly 21,000 people dead or missing.