Magnitude 5.9 earthquake shakes eastern Japan including Tokyo; dozens injured

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck eastern Japan early Sunday, shaking Tokyo and surrounding prefectures and injuring at least 37 people.

The Japan Meteorological Agency located the epicentre in southern Ibaraki Prefecture at a depth of about 68 to 70 kilometres. Intensity reached lower 5 on the Japanese shindo scale in parts of Tokyo, Ibaraki, Saitama and Chiba.

The shaking began around 2 a.m. after earthquake early warning alerts sounded on mobile phones. It lasted up to a minute in some areas. One person was seriously injured in Kanagawa Prefecture; the rest of the injuries were reported as light.

A partial ceiling collapse occurred at Ushiku City Hall in Ibaraki. Some people were briefly trapped in elevators in Tokyo. No tsunami warning was issued.

Authorities advised the public to remain vigilant for strong aftershocks over the coming week. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued an emergency earthquake alert at the time of the main shock.

The Kanto region sits on a complex set of tectonic boundaries. Regular moderate quakes are recorded, but this event produced wider disruption to early-morning transport and public buildings than many recent shocks of similar size.