5.9-Magnitude Quake Hits Northeast Japan, More Than 20 Injured Near Tokyo

A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 struck eastern Japan, including Tokyo, early Sunday, injuring 23 people across four prefectures. Most of the injuries were minor, and authorities said there was no tsunami threat.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake struck southern Ibaraki prefecture at a depth of 70 kilometres. The US Geological Survey put the preliminary magnitude at 5.8.

Nine people were injured each in Saitama and Kanagawa, four in Chiba and one in Ibaraki. Most were hurt after falling or hitting furniture and doors while trying to get out of bed in panic. An elderly woman in her 80s suffered a serious hip injury after falling from her bed in Yokohama, according to local media.

The earthquake triggered emergency alerts on mobile phones and caused strong shaking in Tokyo. Express trains serving Tokyo and Narita Airport were delayed, along with some local services, while Shinkansen bullet trains continued to operate normally.

The Japanese government formed a task force to assess the damage, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on X.

In Tokyo’s Koto ward, an underground water pipe ruptured, sending water onto a road. The leak was later repaired. The quake also caused power outages affecting around 460 homes, though electricity was restored by Sunday morning.

Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said no abnormalities were reported at around a dozen nuclear power plants and other facilities handling nuclear materials.

The latest quake comes a month after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto on Kyushu, killing 38 people and injuring 364. The quake destroyed more than 1,500 buildings and damaged nearly 20,000 others.