German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said on Friday morning Germany will offer help to Japan if it needed.

"If help is required, Germany will of course help our partner country of Japan," Westerwelle said at Local TV station ZDF in the morning.

Westerwelle did not release any specific rescue plan.

An 8.9 magnitude earthquake hit Japan's northeastern Honshu island Friday. The focus of the quake, which occurred at 2:46 p.m.local time (0546 GMT), was located some 10 km under the sea 130 km east of the Miyagi Prefecture.