Magnitude 5.9 Earthquake Shakes Eastern Japan, Injuring 12 in Tokyo

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9 jolted eastern Japan on Sunday, including the capital Tokyo, leaving at least 12 people with minor injuries and disrupting railway services. The tremor, which occurred around 2:00 AM local time, had its epicenter in the southern part of Ibaraki prefecture.

Strong shaking, reaching up to intensity 5 lower on the Japanese seismic scale, was felt across Tokyo's 23 districts, as well as in the prefectures of Ibaraki, Saitama, and Chiba. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported the earthquake originated in southern Ibaraki at a depth of 68 kilometers. Crucially, the seismic activity did not trigger a tsunami warning.

Authorities in Saitama prefecture, north of Tokyo, reported nine individuals sustained minor injuries. Fire departments in Kawasaki city, south of the capital, also confirmed three injuries. Transportation services were affected, with JR East announcing temporary suspensions and delays on several metropolitan lines for safety inspections.

Nuclear facilities remained unaffected, with the Tokai No. 2 plant in Ibaraki reporting no anomalies. The JMA urged residents to remain cautious, warning of the possibility of similar-magnitude earthquakes in the coming week, particularly within the next two to three days. Japan, situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, frequently experiences seismic activity, and its infrastructure is built to withstand tremors.

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Today, around 2:00 local time (17:00 GMT Saturday) an earthquake occurred with its epicenter in the south of Ibaraki prefecture, and strong tremors of up to intensity 5 lower were registered in Tokyo's 23 districts and in the prefectures of Ibaraki, Saitama, and Chiba.