A magnitude 6.2 earthquake, which measured a weak 5 on the shindo (intensity) scale, was detected at a depth of 50 kilometers off eastern Chiba Prefecture on Friday at 7:03 p.m., jolting nearby areas including Tokyo.

No tsunami warning was issued, according to the Meteorological Agency.

The quake registered a weak 5 in parts of Chiba and Ibaraki prefectures and was strongly felt in the capital, but there were no immediate reports of major damage.

Central Tokyo as well as the neighboring cities of Yokohama and Saitama observed an intensity of 3.

Footage from NHK showed buildings shaking near Narita Airport in Chiba.

Bullet trains on the Hokuriku, Joetsu and Tohoku Shinkansen lines were halted for around 10 minutes due to a temporary blackout, East Japan Railway Co. said.

No abnormalities were reported at the Tokai No. 2 nuclear power plant located in Ibaraki, its operator said.

Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world’s most seismically active areas. Japan accounts for about one-fifth of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.

Friday’s temblor comes just three weeks after a magnitude 6.5 quake struck Ishikawa Prefecture, killing one man and injuring several others.

Source Japan Times

BDST: 1930 HRS, MAY 26, 2023
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