China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) Friday called on Chinese enterprises with operations in Japan to ensure their staff there were safe after an 8.6-magnitude earthquake rocked the country.

Those companies should keep in close contact with China's consulate and embassies in Japan, and hold off sending staff to the earthquake-hit areas, MOC said in an emergency statement on its website shortly after the earthquake.

An earthquake measuring 8.6 on the Richter scale jolted the east coast of Japan's main Honshu Island at 1:46 p.m. Beijing Time Friday, according to the China Earthquake Network Center.

Japan's meteorological agency measured the earthquake at 8.9 magnitude and "major damage" has been reported, according to Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan.

The offshore quake triggered a tsunami that hit Japan's northeastern coast, sweeping away buildings and cars and leaving many missing, according to the Japanese government's top spokesman, Yukio Edano.