A 5.5-magnitude earthquake hit near Japan's east coast today. The US Geological Survey said the moderate quake hit at a shallow depth of 11 kilometres, 244 kilometres northeast of Tokyo, just after 5 AM local time. Japan sits at the junction of four tectonic plates and experiences a number of relatively violent quakes every year. <br/><br/>But rigid building codes and strict enforcement mean even strong tremors often do little damage.On Wednesday a 6.3-magnitude quake hit 18 kilometres north-northeast of the town of Daigo, but there were no reports of injuries or damage.