An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 struck eastern Japan early Sunday, shaking the Tokyo area and leaving dozens of people injured across multiple prefectures, according to prefectural officials and the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. The temblor did not trigger a tsunami, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, after issuing an emergency earthquake alert that flashed on mobile phones.
Magnitude 5.9 Earthquake Strikes Eastern Japan and Rattles Tokyo
The 2:00 a.m. quake originated in the southern part of Ibaraki Prefecture at a depth of 70 kilometers, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, though the U.S. Geological Survey recorded a preliminary magnitude of 5.8. The shaking registered a lower 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in parts of Ibaraki Prefecture, central Tokyo, and parts of Saitama and Chiba prefectures. A lower 5 intensity is defined by the agency as shaking that causes most people to be frightened and hold on to something stable, while objects may fall from shelves.
Injuries, Infrastructure Impacts, and Emergency Response
At least 37 people were injured across five prefectures in the region, including 15 in Tokyo, nine in Saitama, eight in Kanagawa, four in Chiba, and one in Ibaraki. Most of the injured were hurt when they fell down or hit themselves against furniture or doors as they were caught off guard while sleeping and got out of bed in a panic. Among the injured was an elderly woman who fell off a bed and suffered a serious hip injury in Yokohama within Kanagawa Prefecture, as reported by the Yomiuri newspaper.
The government established a task force to assess the extent of possible damage, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on social media, adding that she had instructed officials to ascertain damage reports and provide timely information to the public. In Tokyo’s eastern ward of Koto, an underground water pipe ruptured, sending water pouring onto the road before being repaired and stopped. Additionally, TEPCO Power Grid reported that about 460 homes in Tokyo experienced power outages, though service was restored later Sunday morning.
Transportation Disruptions and Nuclear Facility Status
Train operations faced disruptions following the earthquake. Express trains serving Tokyo and Narita Airport, along with local trains serving northeastern regions, experienced delays, and some express services operated by Tobu Railway remained halted. However, Shinkansen bullet trains operated normally, according to East Japan Railway Co.
Operators of nuclear facilities in the affected region confirmed that no abnormalities were detected at about a dozen nuclear power plants and facilities handling nuclear materials, including the Tokai No. 2 nuclear power plant in Ibaraki Prefecture, the disaster-stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, and the nearby Fukushima Daini plant, according to the Nuclear Regulation Authority.
Aftershock Warnings and Regional Context
Following the initial temblor, the Japan Meteorological Agency urged residents in the affected areas to remain alert for another possible moderate earthquake reaching an intensity of lower 5 over the coming week, exercising particular caution during the next two to three days. The seismic event follows a magnitude 7.1 quake that struck the Kumamoto area on Japan’s southernmost island of Kyushu the previous month.
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