TOKYO -- A moderate 5.3-magnitude earthquake shook northern Japan on Thursday, the Meteorological Agency said, nearly two weeks after a powerful tremor killed 12 people in the country.

The tremor, which struck at 8:41 a.m. (2341 GMT Wednesday), jolted areas in the northern island of Hokkaido, the agency said. There was no threat of a tsunami and no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The epicenter was located off the coast of Urakawa, at a depth of 60 kilometers (37.5 miles) below sea-level in the Pacific.

Japan experiences 20 percent of the world's major earthquakes. A powerful quake in the northern prefecture of Miyagi on June 13 triggered landslides and killed 12 people.