TOKYO, April 27 -- A strong earthquake rattled Japan's northern island of Hokkaido early Monday, US and Japanese meteorological agencies reported, the latest in a series of powerful tremors to hit the island nation.

The 6.2-magnitude quake struck at 5.23 am (4.23am Malaysian time) in Hokkaido's southern region, at a depth of 83 kilometres, the Japanese Meteorological Agency reported, revising its preliminary estimate of magnitude 6.1.

No tsunami alert was issued, JMA said, and the US Geological Survey predicted that damage to property and threat to life was minimal, given the limited population in the region some 200 kilometres east of Sapporo.

But "in areas that experienced strong shaking, the danger of falling rocks and landslides ha...