5.4‑Magnitude Earthquake Hits Near East Coast of Honshu, Japan

An earthquake measuring 5.4 struck the north‑east coast of Honshu, Japan, at 15:07 GMT on Wednesday, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ). The GFZ identified the epicenter at a depth of 49.4 km, with coordinates 35.67° N, 140.59° E. Kyodo News reported that a preliminary magnitude of 5.5 struck the northeastern part of Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo at 12:07 a.m. local time, and that the Japan Meteorological Agency described the event as lower 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale. The agency also noted the depth at about 52 km and recorded an initial magnitude of 5.4. Both sources agreed that the quake caused no tsunami threat. The shaking was felt throughout Chiba and in neighboring prefectures, including Tochigi, Ibaraki, and Saitama, and was also reported in Tokyo. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued an earthquake alert confirming the preliminary magnitude of 5.4 and a depth of 50 km, with no tsunami warning. The GFZ and the Japan Meteorological Agency’s observations provide slightly different figures, but both highlight the quake’s moderate size and the lack of significant hazards for the region.