No tsunami warning

Earthquake of magnitude 5.9 shakes the center of Japan

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck central Japan at 6.31 a.m. (local time, 11.31 p.m. Sunday evening CEST). The epicenter was located on the central Japanese peninsula of Noto. Initially there were no reports of damage. A tsunami warning was not issued.

According to the disaster prevention authority, three houses collapsed. However, there were no reports of deaths or injuries. Footage from public broadcaster NHK showed at least one house whose walls had been badly damaged and whose tiled roof had partially collapsed to the ground.

Nuclear power plants without damage
According to the Japanese Nuclear Regulation Authority, no unusual activity was detected at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa and Shika nuclear power plants located on the coast.

The weather authority nevertheless called for caution. After rainfall or further quakes, landslides and falling rocks could occur in the region, it warned.

Earthquake in Japan

Japan is located in one of the most tectonically active areas in the world and has strict building standards to ensure that buildings can withstand strong quakes. The archipelago, with a population of around 125 million, is hit by around 1500 tremors every year, most of which do not cause any damage.

However, more than 230 people were killed in an earthquake on the Noto peninsula on New Year's Day.