7.3 magnitude quake strikes off Japan's east coast: USGS

A 7.3 magnitude quake struck off Japan's east coast today but no destructive widespread tsunami was expected, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

The quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometres at 3:10am local time (1710 GMT Friday), 320 km southeast of Ishinomaki in Miyagi Prefecture, according to the US Geological Survey.

The USGS intially said its magnitude was 7.5.