Moderate Earthquake Hits Eastern Japan

A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 struck eastern Japan, including the Tokyo area, early Sunday. The country’s meteorological agency confirmed no tsunami threat.

The Japan Meteorological Agency stated the earthquake occurred in southern Ibaraki Prefecture at a depth of 70 kilometers (42 miles). The U.S. Geological Survey recorded a preliminary magnitude of 5.8.

No reports of damage or injuries have emerged so far. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi mentioned on social media platform X that the government has set up a task force to assess potential damage impacts.

Emergency earthquake alerts were triggered on mobile phones across the Tokyo region. Despite the quake, public broadcaster NHK showed normal traffic in nearby cities such as Mito and Saitama. However, NHK images revealed a broken underground water pipe in Tokyo’s eastern Koto district, causing water to spill onto the street. Additionally, TEPCO Power Grid reported power outages affecting approximately 460 Tokyo homes.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority reported no unusual findings at around a dozen nuclear power plants and other facilities handling nuclear materials.

Last month, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit Kumamoto area on Japan’s southernmost island, Kyushu, resulting in 38 deaths and 364 injuries. It also destroyed over 1,500 structures and damaged nearly 20,000 others.

This article was translated from English by an AP editor using a generative AI tool.