Japan's northeast coast has been hit by one-metre high tsunami waves following a 7.3 magnitude earthquake in the same area hit by the deadly quake and tsunami last year.

The wave hit Ishinomaki, a city in the Miyagi prefecture that was pounded by the killer tsunami of March 2011, the country's meteorological agency said.

The meteorological agency had issued a tsunami warning for coastal regions after a 7.3 magnitude earthquake shook north-eastern Japan earlier in the day.

According to the agency, there were no reports of any damage or injuries from the earthquake, which was centered off the prefecture at a depth of 10 km.

A magnitude-9 quake struck the region on 11 March 2011, causing major damage and setting off a tsunami that devastated coastal communities.

The disaster left 18,600 people dead or missing.