Summary An earthquake measuring 6.0 on Richter scale struck near the southwestern city of Kobe.
TOKYO (AFP) - A strong 6.0-magnitude earthquake hit western Japan early Saturday but there was no risk of a tsunami, the country s meteorological agency reported.
The quake struck at 5:33 am (2033 GMT on Friday) near Awaji island in the Seto Inland Sea southwest of the city of Kobe at a relatively shallow depth of 10 kilometres (six miles), the agency said.
Local train services were suspended to check safety, while Kansai airport in Osaka Bay was temporarily closed, Japan s public broadcaster NHK said, adding that there were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries.
The epicentre was close to the 1995 Kobe quake that struck the port city, killing more than 6,000 people.
