State seismologists allayed fears of a tsunami in the Philippines from a magnitude-6.5 quake that hit Japan early on Monday morning (Manila time).

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology head Renato Solidum Jr. said the quake was not as powerful as the magnitude-9 quake last March 11 to generate a tsunami.

“Hindi ito magdudulot ng panganib sa atin kung tsunami ang paguusapan. Sa Japan posibleng magkaroon ng lindol pero masyadong maliit para makapagdulot ng alon na mataas," Solidum said in an interview on dzBB radio.

(It will not pose a threat to us as far as tsunamis are concerned. Even in Japan, there may be a quake but it is not powerful enough to generate high waves.)

Citing initial reports reaching him, he said the quake occurred off Honshu.

“Kahit malakas yan, sa lupa di masyadong malakas (Even if the quake were powerful at sea, it may not be felt on land)," he added.

The United States Geological Survey said the quake was recorded at 6:23 a.m. (Manila time; 7:23 a.m. in Tokyo), near the east coast of Honshu.

It said the epicenter was 109 kilometers (km) east of Sendai, Honshu; 156 km east of Yamagata, Honshu; 161 km east-northeast of Fukushima, Honshu; or 368 km northeast of Tokyo. – VVP, GMA News