A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck near Tokyo early Sunday, injuring at least 37 people and disrupting rail services across Japan’s capital region, authorities said, though no tsunami warning was issued and no major building damage was reported.
The quake hit at around 2 a.m. local time, centered in southern Ibaraki Prefecture at a depth of roughly 68 kilometers, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded a slightly different reading of magnitude 5.8. The shaking registered as high as lower 5 on Japan’s seven-point intensity scale in parts of Tokyo, Ibaraki, Saitama and Chiba, a level capable of toppling objects off shelves and forcing people to grab onto something to stay steady.
Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency said the 37 injuries were spread across five prefectures: 15 in Tokyo, nine in Saitama, eight in Kanagawa, four in Chiba and one in Ibaraki. Most were minor, caused by people falling or colliding with furniture and doors as they reacted to the sudden shaking, which lasted up to a minute in some areas and arrived shortly after earthquake early-warning alerts sounded on mobile phones. One serious injury was reported, a woman in her 80s in Yokohama who fractured her hip after falling from bed, according to local media.
A water pipe burst in Tokyo’s Koto ward, flooding part of a road, and elevators temporarily stopped in several buildings, briefly trapping occupants, officials said. One building sustained damage in Saitama Prefecture. Some train services in the Tokyo area were disrupted following the quake.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the tremor was felt across the capital and neighboring prefectures and that she had instructed officials to assess the damage and provide the public with timely information. Authorities urged residents to remain alert for the possibility of further strong shaking over the coming week.
