Magnitude 5.5 quake hits Japan’s Chiba Prefecture; caution urged over possible repeat quakes of similar intensity over the next week
- Input
- 2026-10-29 09:04:11
- Updated
- 2026-10-29 09:04:11
【Financial News, Tokyo—Correspondent Seo Hyejin】An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5 struck Chiba Prefecture, in Japan’s metropolitan area, early on the 29th. There was no tsunami, and no reports of damage had been received by that morning.
According to NHK, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said an earthquake with its epicenter in northeastern Chiba Prefecture occurred at around 12:07 a.m. that day. The hypocenter was 52 km deep. The JMA initially announced a magnitude of 5.4 and a depth of 50 km, then revised the figures after analyzing observation data.
Shaking with a maximum seismic intensity of 5-lower was observed in Yokoshibahikari Town, Chiba Prefecture. Intensity 4 was recorded in the cities of Asahi, Sosa, Katori and Sanmu, among other places. Shaking of intensity 1 to 3 was also detected in the Kanto region, including Tokyo, southern Tohoku and Shizuoka Prefecture.
Unlike magnitude, which represents the energy of the earthquake itself, seismic intensity indicates the strength of shaking felt in a particular area. Under JMA standards, intensity 5-lower is strong enough to make most people feel afraid and want to hold onto something. Dishes or books on shelves may fall, and unsecured furniture may topple.
According to police and other sources, no reports of damage in Chiba Prefecture had been received by that morning. No sections of expressway in the metropolitan area were closed to traffic as a result of the earthquake, either.
The JMA urged caution, saying the risk of rockfalls and landslides may have increased in areas that experienced strong shaking. It also warned that earthquakes capable of producing shaking of up to intensity 5-lower may occur over roughly the next week.
It has been about two months since intensity 5-lower was observed in Chiba Prefecture, following a magnitude 5.9 earthquake in southern Ibaraki Prefecture on August 23.
[email protected] Seo Hyejin Reporter