A strong earthquake struck eastern Japan on Wednesday morning.
The Japan Meteorological Agency says a magnitude 5 quake struck north of Tokyo shortly after 10:00 a.m. The epicenter was in southern Ibaraki Prefecture. The quake did not pose a tsunami risk.
The agency placed the quake’s focus at a depth of 48 kilometers.
The earthquake registered an intensity of lower 5 on the Japanese scale of 0 to 7 in Moka City, Tochigi Prefecture.
Officials say it’s the first time since March 2024 for a quake of this intensity to be observed in Tochigi Prefecture. At that time, a magnitude 5.3 tremor originated in southern Ibaraki Prefecture.
The Meteorological Agency is warning that in areas where shaking was strong, the risk of rockfalls and landslides may have risen.
Officials are calling on residents to remain on alert for about one week for tremors of up to around lower 5 in intensity. They say large earthquakes often occur within two to three days.
Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train temporarily halted
The operator of the Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train says the service has been resumed. It had temporarily halted operation between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori stations because of the earthquake.
The operator of Haneda Airport says there are no reports of flight delays or cancellations due to the quake.
And the operators of subways and railways in Metropolitan Tokyo say their services have not been affected.
The operators of the two nuclear power plants in northern Japan say there have been no reports of abnormalities at their facilities so far.
One of them is Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, and the other is Tokai No.2 nuclear power plant in Ibaraki Prefecture. They say radiation levels around the plants remain unchanged.
Expert warns of similar size quake hitting north of Tokyo
Professor Sakai Shinichi of the University of Tokyo’s Earthquake Research Institute is warning of a possible jolt as big as the magnitude 5 quake that hit north of Tokyo on Wednesday morning. He has urged residents to stay alert for about a week.
Sakai said Wednesday’s quake is estimated to have occurred at a depth of 50 kilometers, adding that it apparently took place close to where the Philippine Sea Plate sinks below a continental plate.
He said earthquakes have often occurred in southern Ibaraki Prefecture, the epicenter of Wednesday’s jolt. He also said the latest quake is slightly bigger than past ones.
Sakai cautioned people to be prepared for quakes of a similar size in the area.
