Magnitude 5.7 earthquake in central Japan injures at least 22; no tsunami risk

A strong earthquake struck central Japan early on Sunday, 8 November, injuring at least 22 people and shattering shop windows, but there was no risk of a tsunami. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) put its preliminary magnitude at 5.7; the US Geological Survey measured it at 5.5.

The quake hit at 1.04 a.m. local time (9.34 p.m. IST on Saturday). Its epicentre was in Shizuoka Prefecture, about 40 km below the surface, and the strongest shaking was felt in neighbouring Aichi Prefecture. Tremors were felt over a wide area, including the city of Hamamatsu, the old capitals of Kyoto and Nara, and Gifu and Yamanashi prefectures.

Most of the injured were hurt in falls, many of them on stairs, according to local reports. Windows broke at shops in several places.

The JMA warned that strong quakes could follow over the next several days and asked people in the affected areas to watch for landslides and falling rocks if it rains, because the shaking may have loosened slopes. It said it had detected no unusual change along the Nankai Trough.

Why the Nankai Trough matters

The trough is an undersea fault that runs off Japan’s Pacific coast from Shizuoka to the island of Kyushu. Government experts consider it likely to produce a great earthquake of magnitude 8 or 9 within the next few decades, with a tsunami that could hit large parts of the coast. In August 2024 the JMA issued its first-ever “megaquake advisory” for the region after a magnitude 7.1 quake off Kyushu; no major quake followed, and the advisory was lifted a week later. Any tremor near the trough is now checked for signs that a larger rupture may be coming.

Japan lies where four tectonic plates meet and records about a fifth of the world’s strongest earthquakes. Its strict building codes and early-warning systems are the main reason moderate quakes like this one rarely cause deaths.