Tokyo (AP): Japan's meteorological agency on Tuesday issued a tsunami advisory to a group of remote islands south of Tokyo after a strong earthquake.

The remote offshore quake was not felt and so far no damage or injuries were reported.

Japan Meteorological Agency said a magnitude 5.9 quake hit coastal residents of Izu Islands on Tuesday morning, and issued a tsunami advisory of up to 1 metre of waves in the area within minutes.

The JMA said a tsunami of about 50 centimetres was detected in the Yaene district on the Hachijo island.

The offshore quake occurred about 180 kilometres south of Hachijo island, which is about 300 kilometres south of Tokyo, the agency said.

The JMA said there was no Japanese earthquake intensity data from the remote offshore quake. Residents on Hachijo island said they did not feel the quake and only heard the tsunami advisory, Japan's NHK public television said.

Japan sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean, and is one of the world's most earthquake and tsunami-prone countries.