HONG KONG (Reuters) - Five Chinese activists were arrested on Wednesday after landing on an island chain claimed by China and Japan, Japan's NHK said.

A fishing vessel, carrying around a dozen activists from Hong Kong, Macau and China, was closely tailed by around a dozen Japanese coastguard vessels and pummeled with water cannon, but activists still managed to break through.

David Ko, a spokesman for the activists, said at least seven had made it ashore and five had been "held for questioning".

"The men carried red Chinese flags and Hong Kong flags. The boat is a total write-off," he said.

(Reporting by James Pomfret; additional reporting by Linda Sieg in Tokyo; Editing by Nick Macfie)