A strong 6.4-magnitude earthquake jolted northeastern Japan early Sunday in the same region that was devastated by a massive 9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami earlier this year.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake was centered in the Pacific Ocean near the east coast of Japan's Honshu island, 185 kilometers northeast of Tokyo, at a depth of 43 kilometers.

Seven people in nearby cities were slightly injured.  No tsunami warning was issued.

Tokyo Electric Power Company, the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant crippled by the March 11 quake and tsunami, said the latest earthquake did not cause any new damage to the plant.

More than 20,000 people were killed or left missing after the March twin disaster.  Another 80,000 have been forced to evacuate their homes because of the radiation threat from the nuclear plant.