Archive · 23 Aug 2026
5.9-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Japan, Injuring At Least 37
A moderate earthquake shook eastern Japan early Sunday morning.
It started near Ibaraki Prefecture, not far from Tokyo.
People in many places, including Tokyo, felt the ground move.
Reports first said 23 people were hurt, but a later update said at least 37 were injured.
Some people fell or hit furniture when they tried to react quickly.
Trains were delayed, and broken water pipes caused water to cover some roads.
Officials said there was no tsunami danger and no reported problems at nuclear plants.
People were told to watch for more earthquakes, especially over the next few days.
A preliminary magnitude-5.9 earthquake struck southern Ibaraki around 2 a.m. Sunday at a depth of about 70 kilometers.
The shaking was felt across eastern and central Japan, including Tokyo, with lower-5 intensity recorded in several areas.
Reports gave differing injury totals: earlier accounts cited 23 people, while a later update reported at least 37 injured.
Some trains were delayed and multiple water pipes burst, temporarily flooding roads; services and utilities were gradually restored.
Officials reported no tsunami threat or nuclear-facility abnormalities and urged residents to remain alert for further shaking.
- Who
- Residents across eastern and central Japan were affected; emergency officials, transport operators and nuclear-facility operators assessed the impact.
- What
- A preliminary magnitude-5.9 earthquake struck Japan, injuring at least 37 people according to a later update and disrupting some trains and water services.
- When
- Around 2 a.m. local time on Sunday; officials urged vigilance over the following week, particularly the next two to three days.
- Where
- The epicenter was in southern Ibaraki Prefecture, about 70 kilometers deep; shaking was felt across Japan, including Tokyo.
- Why
- The articles do not specify a cause for the earthquake.
- Magnitude
- 5.9 according to the Japan Meteorological Agency; 5.8 according to the United States Geological Survey.
- Location and depth
- Southern Ibaraki Prefecture, at a depth of about 70 kilometers.
- Injuries
- A later report cited at least 37 injured; earlier reports listed 23, creating a discrepancy among the accounts.
- Shaking intensity
- Lower 5 on Japan's seven-level seismic intensity scale in parts of Ibaraki, Saitama and Chiba prefectures and Tokyo's Adachi Ward.
- Transport and infrastructure
- Some Kanto-region train services were temporarily disrupted, while multiple water pipes burst and flooded some roads.
- Nuclear facilities
- No abnormalities were reported at Tokai No. 2, Fukushima Daiichi or Fukushima Daini nuclear plants; other reports also cited no problems at about a dozen nuclear facilities.
- Tsunami
- Officials reported no danger of a tsunami.
Sources
More Than 20 Injured as Moderate Earthquake Shakes Japan
More than 20 injured as moderate earthquake shakes northeast Japan
23 Injured As 5.9-Magnitude Earthquake Rattles Northeast Japan, Tremors Felt in Tokyo
Japan earthquake: 23 injured as 5.9 magnitude tremor shakes Tokyo region
5.9 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Northeast Japan, Over 20 Injured
5.9 magnitude quake rattles Tokyo and eastern Japan, injures 23; no tsunami threat
37 injured after 5.9-magnitude earthquake hits Japan's Ibaraki
