TOKYO, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 hit eastern Japan's Kanto region Friday evening.

    The epicenter of the 7:59 p.m. quake was about 50 kilometers under the seabed of the Pacific off Ibaraki Prefecture, according to the Japanese Meteorological Agency.

    The quake could be felt in a wide range of areas, including Fukushima, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Gunma, Saitama and Chiba prefectures, the major broadcaster NHK reported.

    The agency issued no tsunami warning following the quake. There were neither immediate reports of casualties nor that of damage.