Japan Quake Injures 22, Shatters Shop Windows

Shattered shop windows and glass across streets marked the scene after a magnitude-5.7 earthquake struck central Japan early Sunday. At least 22 people were injured, including some who fell while leaving buildings. No deaths were reported, and officials issued no tsunami warning. The strongest shaking hit Aichi Prefecture, while the quake’s centre lay beneath neighbouring Shizuoka^1,2.

The earthquake struck at 1:04 a.m. local time, about 40 kilometres underground, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The agency measured it at magnitude 5.7; the US Geological Survey gave it a preliminary magnitude of 5.5. Shaking reached nearby areas, including parts of Nagano and Gifu, and smaller aftershocks were reported. In Aichi, books tumbled from store shelves and storefront glass broke. The tremor also led railway operators to slow or temporarily stop some regional trains, including Shinkansen bullet trains^3,7,13.

Those 22 injuries show how a quake can hurt people even without deaths or a tsunami threat. Some people were hurt while fleeing; in Shizuoka, a woman in her nineties injured her shoulder after falling from bed. Local reports put the toll at 24 across Aichi and Shizuoka, while an Aichi emergency official said authorities had received 16 reports, mostly of minor injuries. The different counts reflect reports gathered from separate places and at different times. Train slowdowns were a precaution against possible track damage^2,13.

Japan’s meteorological agency singled out the next two to three days as a period when strong aftershocks could occur, while its wider alert covers the coming week. Agency official Ayataka Ebita also urged residents to watch for falling rocks and mudslides, especially if rain falls. Officials said they had found no apparent change so far at the Nankai Trough, where scientists say a major quake could occur. Residents in affected areas should stay alert as authorities monitor seismic activity^3,7.