(AFP) – TOKYO — A powerful earthquake was felt in Tokyo Friday, triggering a tsunami alert on the northeast coast and setting buildings in the Japanese capital swaying violently.

The tsunami was forecast to be around one-metre high, media said. Initial reports put the epicentre near to that of the March 11 quake that sparked a devastating tsunami.

There was no threat of a tsunami in the wider Pacific Ocean, according to the US-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, but it warned an earthquake of that magnitude could generate a tsunami that can be destructive for local coastlines.