A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck off the eastern coast of Japan’s Honshu island at around 2am on Sunday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
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The epicentre was located about 70 kilometres beneath southern Ibaraki Prefecture. There was no tsunami threat following the earthquake.
Shaking of lower 5 intensity was recorded in parts of Tokyo, as well as Ibaraki, Saitama and Chiba prefectures, The Japan Times reported.
Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world’s most seismically active countries. Japan accounts for about one-fifth of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater, according to Reuters.
The country lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a vast zone surrounding the Pacific Ocean where several tectonic plates meet. The region is responsible for about 90% of the world’s earthquakes and is the planet’s most active seismic zone.
Japan experiences thousands of small tremors each year, along with hundreds of moderate-to-strong earthquakes measuring magnitude 4 or higher.
The JMA says earthquakes above magnitude 5 can make it difficult for people to walk without holding on to something stable, while unsecured furniture may topple over.
