An earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale hit northern Japan early Saturday morning.
According to Kyodo News Agency, the Japanese Meteorological Agency says the quake was centered 10 kilometers below the earth's surface near the Chuetsu area in the Niigata Prefecture.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
Niigata is still recovering from a magnitude 6.8 earthquake on October 23 that killed 39 people and left more than 2,000 injured.