Magnitude 5.9 Earthquake Rattles Eastern Japan, Injuring Dozens Near Tokyo

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck eastern Japan early Sunday, causing strong shaking and injuring at least 37 people.

The quake hit around 2:00 a.m. local time, centered in the southern part of Ibaraki Prefecture at a depth of 68 to 70 kilometers. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported no concern about tsunamis. The tremor registered lower 5 on Japan’s seven-point shindo seismic scale in parts of Ibaraki, Saitama, and Chiba prefectures, as well as in Tokyo’s Adachi Ward.

Level 4 shaking was recorded in other areas of Tokyo, Tochigi, Gunma, and Kanagawa prefectures. Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency reported at least 37 injuries across five prefectures: 15 in Tokyo, nine in Saitama, eight in Kanagawa, four in Chiba, and one in Ibaraki. One person sustained serious injuries, including a woman in her 80s who suffered a serious hip injury after falling off her bed in Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture.

Most injuries occurred as people fell or hit furniture after being caught off guard while sleeping. One building was damaged in Saitama Prefecture. The earthquake disrupted some regional train services in Tokyo, with some trains running at reduced speeds. Keisei Line services returned to normal after 9:40 a.m., but some Tobu Railway express services remained halted.

Shinkansen bullet trains, however, ran normally. An underground water pipe ruptured in Tokyo’s Koto Ward, with water pouring onto the road, but it was later repaired. The quake also caused blackouts to about 460 homes in Tokyo, with power restored later Sunday morning. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated that the government set up a task force to assess the extent of possible damage and urged residents to remain vigilant for the possibility of another earthquake of a similar magnitude for about a week.