Magnitude 5.9 quake shakes Tokyo and eastern Kanto, no tsunami threat

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake centered in southern Ibaraki Prefecture at a depth of 70 km struck at 2 a.m. Sunday, shaking Tokyo and the eastern Kanto region. The quake produced lower-5 intensity on Japan’s shindo scale in Tokyo’s Adachi Ward and in Ibaraki, Saitama and Chiba prefectures, while level-4 shaking was recorded in other parts of Tokyo and in Tochigi, Gunma and Kanagawa.

The Meteorological Agency notes that lower-5 shaking can cause objects to fall from shelves and may make people grab onto stable surfaces. Early-warning alerts were sent to mobile phones shortly before the shaking, which lasted up to a minute in some locations.

Long-period ground motion at level 2 was observed in Kawaguchi (Saitama), Urayasu (Chiba) and Tokyo’s Koto and Edogawa wards, a level that can make high-rise buildings sway and cause difficulty standing.

Authorities are assessing damage. The city of Kawasaki reported two injuries by 3 a.m., and a water pipe rupture was noted in Tokyo’s Koto Ward, though its cause remains unclear. JR East was inspecting its network to determine whether train services could resume by the morning.

In Tokai village, Ibaraki, where Japan Atomic Power Company’s Tokai and Tokai No. 2 nuclear facilities are located, shaking reached intensity 3. The company said no abnormalities were found at Tokai No. 2 and inspections were ongoing at the decommissioning Tokai plant.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi posted on X that a liaison office had been set up at the Crisis Management Center to coordinate response efforts, and she urged residents in strongly shaken areas to stay vigilant for possible aftershocks.

“To those in the areas where the shaking was strong, I ask that you continue to remain vigilant for the possibility of another earthquake of similar magnitude,” the prime minister wrote.