A moderate earthquake rattled eastern Japan, including the Tokyo area, early Sunday, resulting in injuries to at least 37 people. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the temblor had a preliminary magnitude of 5.9, with its epicenter located in the southern Ibaraki prefecture at a depth of 70 kilometers, or 42 miles. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the magnitude at 5.8.
Prefectural officials and the Fire and Disaster Management Agency reported that the injuries occurred across five prefectures: 15 in Tokyo, nine in Saitama, eight in Kanagawa, four in Chiba, and one in Ibaraki. Most of the injured suffered minor harm, typically caused by falling or striking furniture and doors as they reacted to the sudden shaking while sleeping. Among the casualties, a woman in her 80s in Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture, sustained a serious hip injury after falling from her bed, as reported by the Yomiuri newspaper.
The earthquake triggered emergency alerts on mobile phones throughout the region. While public television broadcaster NHK showed traffic appearing normal in nearby cities such as Mito and Saitama, the quake did cause localized infrastructure issues. In Tokyo’s eastern ward of Koto, an underground water pipe ruptured, causing water to spill onto the road; authorities have since repaired the pipe and stopped the leak. The Nuclear Regulation Authority confirmed there were no reports of anomalies at approximately a dozen nuclear power plants and other facilities handling nuclear materials.
Transportation services experienced some disruptions, with East Japan Railway Co. reporting delays to express trains serving Tokyo and Narita Airport, as well as local trains in northeastern regions. However, the company noted that Shinkansen bullet trains continued to operate normally. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated on X that the government has established a task force to assess the extent of the damage.
Authorities confirmed there was no danger of a tsunami. The Japan Meteorological Agency has urged residents in the affected areas to exercise caution regarding the possibility of another moderate earthquake occurring within the next week. This event follows a magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck the Kumamoto area on Japan’s southernmost island of Kyushu last month, which resulted in 38 deaths and 364 injuries.
