A magnitude 6.2 earthquake has struck off the coast of Japan, according to the US Geological Survey.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties from the tremors, which hit 64 miles (103 kilometres) north-east of the island of Honshu at a depth of 24 miles (40 kilometres.)

It was the third powerful earthquake in two days in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a curved 25,000-mile basin where the bulk of the world's seismic activity takes place.

Two volcanoes in the region have also erupted within the past 24 hours, including Kusatsu-Shirane in Japan, which triggered a deadly avalanche when it blew.

The Japan quake, which struck at 9.50pm local time (10.50am GMT), was felt by people on the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido but was deeper and weaker than the one which sparked fears of a tsunami in Alaska a day earlier.

Authorities in the US state ordered the evacuation of low-lying coastal areas following Tuesday's magnitude 7.9 earthquake, centred 175 miles south-east of Kodiak Island.

But the feared monster waves never materialised and evacuees were allowed to leave shelters and return home after the tsunami alert was cancelled. Canada's British Columbia, the entire US West Coast and Hawaii were all placed under tsunami watch for a period.

Seismologists said earthquake did not trigger a tsunami because the tremors were of an unusual type that produces less vertical motion, meaning less chance for waves to build.