An earthquake struck northern Japan on Saturday, hitting areas devastated by the 2011 disaster and generating a tsunami of one metre, public broadcaster NHK said. The quake that hit Miyagi prefecture had a preliminary magnitude of 7.2, NHK said. The US Geological Survey said strong tremors were felt in Japan's capital, Tokyo, just before 6.10pm. It said the quake was centered 34 kilometres east of Ishinomaki in Miyagi prefecture, at a depth of 60km. Areas of Miyagi were also affected by the tsunami triggered by the 9-magnitude earthquake on March 11, 2011 that caused widespread destruction in neighbouring Fukushima prefecture. Some residents of coastal communities said they had fled to higher ground after the advisory was issued Saturday evening. "I recalled that day 10 years ago," a man in Ishinomaki city told national broadcaster NHK as he fled to a park on a hill. "Because of our experience of that day, I moved quickly. My heart is pounding hard," he said. There were no immediate reports of damage, according to Takashi Yokota, an official of Miyagi prefecture's disaster management office. "We have not received any immediate report of damage or injuries following the earthquake and the tsunami advisory. But we are still collecting information," he told AFP. The Nuclear Regulation Authority said there had been no reports of abnormality at the area's nuclear facilities, including the crippled Fukushima Daiichi plant, Onagawa nuclear plant and various smaller facilities and experimental nuclear reactors. Last month, the region was also shaken by another strong quake that injured dozens. Meteorologists said it was an aftershock of the 2011 quake. Japan sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin. The country is regularly hit by quakes and has strict construction regulations intended to ensure buildings can withstand strong tremors.