Strong Earthquake Strikes Central Japan and Injures Dozens of Residents

An earthquake struck central Japan early Sunday, injuring dozens of people, disrupting train services, and shattering store windows.

The Japan Meteorological Agency recorded the earthquake magnitude at 5.7, while the U.S. Geological Survey measured it at 5.5. The tremor struck at 1:04 a.m. local time at a depth of about 40 kilometers in Shizuoka Prefecture, west of Tokyo. A wide area near Aichi Prefecture was affected, including Hamamatsu, Kyoto, Nara, Yamanashi, and Gifu.

The most violent shaking occurred in Aichi, where emergency officials received 16 reports of mostly minor injuries. In neighboring Shizuoka, at least three women sought hospital treatment, including a woman in her nineties who fell from her bed. In Toyohashi city, windows at a car dealership shattered, and a bookstore in Toyota city suffered fallen merchandise.

Regional train services and Shinkansen bullet trains experienced delays and slower speeds as a precautionary measure, though normal operations resumed by noon. The earthquake was felt as far west as Osaka, where a resident fell from a second-floor apartment while panicking and was hospitalized. No tsunami warning was issued, and plant operators detected no abnormalities at the Hamaoka nuclear power facility. Officials warned the public to remain alert for possible strong aftershocks, mudslides, and falling rocks over the coming week.