The United States Geological Survey gave a preliminary magnitude reading of 7.1 for the quake, which was centered in the Izu Islands some 200 miles (320 kilometers) southwest of Tokyo.
The Japanese agency said there was no danger of tsunami from the quake. It was 1,115 feet (340 meters) below the ocean bed in the waters off the eastern coast of Japan, according to the agency.
The agency said the quake shook Tokyo, as well as the prefectures (states) of Ibaraki, Saitama, Chiba and others around the capital.
Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries.
