JAPAN

JMA warns of potential tremors throughout the week after magnitude 5.0 quake

There is no threat of a tsunami, and there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage following the temblor, whose epicenter was in southern Ibaraki Prefecture.

By The Japan Times

• April 01, 2026 at 4:38 AM

JMA warns of potential tremors throughout the week after magnitude 5.0 quake Photo: The Japan Times

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck Tochigi and Ibaraki prefectures on Wednesday morning
| JAPAN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY
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A magnitude 5.0 earthquake, measuring lower 5 on Japan’s shindo seismic intensity scale, struck Tochigi and Ibaraki prefectures at 10:06 a.m
on Wednesday.There is no threat of a tsunami, and there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage
Some shinkansen services between Sendai and Tokyo stations saw delays continuing hours after the quake, according to JR East.The epicenter of the quake was in southern Ibaraki Prefecture at a depth of 48 kilometers.A lower 5 shindo reading was recorded in the city of Mooka, Tochigi Prefecture, with level 4 felt in Fukushima, Ibaraki, Chiba and Saitama prefectures.The Japan Meteorological Agency warned that, based on past cases, there is a 10% to 20% chance of an earthquake of a similar magnitude occurring after a major quake
It urged caution in areas that experienced strong shaking for about a week
Quakes of up to around lower 5 on the seismic intensity scale could occur, the agency said.

It added that the likelihood of relatively large earthquakes is particularly high in the next two to three days.At a news conference on Wednesday morning, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said there were no reports of damage or abnormalities at nuclear facilities following the earthquake.

He added that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has instructed officials to coordinate with local governments to assess the situation and provide timely information, while urging residents to remain alert for further quakes.

KEYWORDS
earthquakes(https://www.japantimes.co.jp/tag/earthquakes), Tochigi(https://www.japantimes.co.jp/tag/tochigi), Ibaraki(https://www.japantimes.co.jp/tag/ibaraki)
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