A powerful earthquake has been felt in Tokyo, triggering a tsunami alert on the northeast coast and setting buildings in the Japanese capital swaying violently.

The tsunami was forecast to be around two metres high.

The Japan Meteorological Agency says the earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.3 struck in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Miyagi prefecture at 5:18 p.m. (0818 GMT) Friday.

The epicentre was 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) beneath the seabed.

Initial reports put the epicentre near to that of the March 11, 2011 quake that sparked a devastating tsunami.

【新闻快讯】中新网12月7日电 据美国地质勘探局网站消息，北京时间7日16时18分，日本东北部海域发生里氏7.3级地震，震源深度36.1公里。

有报道称，东京方面有强烈震感，建筑剧烈晃动。日本宫城县已发布海啸预警，此次地震可能引发约一米高的海啸。