An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.4 struck off the Tokara island chain in Japan's southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima on Saturday, the latest in a series of temblors in the area, the country's weather agency said.

The quake, which occurred at 6:29 a.m. local time, measured an upper 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 on Akusekijima, part of the Tokara island chain, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.