A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 5.7 struck central Japan's Shizuoka Prefecture shortly after 1 a.m. on Sunday. There was no threat of a tsunami.
The Japan Meteorological Agency says an intensity of upper 5 on the Japanese scale of zero to seven was recorded in Chita City, Aichi Prefecture. Aichi borders Shizuoka. The agency says it was the first time since March 1997 that jolts on that scale were observed in Aichi.
The quake also registered an intensity of lower 5 in the prefectures of Aichi, Shizuoka, Gifu and Nagano.
The agency estimates that the epicenter was located in the western part of Shizuoka, and that the focus was at a depth of 41 kilometers.
The Meteorological Agency held a news conference after the earthquake. Ebita Ayataka, an agency official, said that residents in areas hit by strong tremors should pay close attention to future seismic activity and rain conditions, as there is a growing risk of falling rocks and landslides. He also noted that people should be on the alert for quakes with an intensity of around upper 5 during the next week or so.
Regarding a possible connection to the Nankai Trough megaquake, he explained that while the tremor occurred in the projected epicenter area, it is believed to be different from the anticipated massive earthquake. He added that the agency will continue to carefully monitor seismic activity.
Authorities in the quake-struck areas are collecting information.
A fire department in Aichi Prefecture's Tokoname City reports that a local woman in her 50s was transported to a hospital with a fractured ankle.
In Toyota City, where an intensity of lower 5 was recorded, a man in his 40s and a woman in her 80s fell and hit their heads due to the earthquake. They were reportedly taken to a hospital with head injuries. Both were conscious.
Officials in Aichi Prefecture's Higashiura Town say that water supplies have been cut off in parts of the town, and that they have received reports about water gushing from manholes.
