M5.6 quake hits Yamanashi in central Japan; 10 injuries reported

national M5.6 quake hits Yamanashi in central Japan; 10 injuries reported Today 05:43 am JST Today | 11:20 am JST 5 Comments TOKYO A strong quake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.6 jolted the central Japanese prefecture of Yamanashi and nearby areas on Friday night, the weather agency said, with no tsunami warning issued and no abnormality detected in volcanic activity at Mount Fuji.

Authorities said Saturday they had received reports of 10 people sustaining minor injuries. The 10:28 p.m.

quake, at a depth of around 20 kilometers, measured lower 6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi. Such a level of shaking was last recorded in the prefecture in 1924, though the temblor was not related to volcanic activity at Mount Fuji, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. An intensity of lower 6 means it is difficult to remain standing and unsecured objects like furniture may topple over and windows may be damaged, according to the agency.

Parts of the Tokyo metropolitan area were also shaken by the quake that measured 4 in intensity. Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train services, suspended immediately after the quake between Tokyo and Shizuoka stations, resumed in the early hours of Saturday, with around 22,000 passengers affected, operator JR Central said. No abnormalities were found at nuclear power facilities, including Chubu Electric Power Co's Hamaoka plant, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press conference.

Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train services were temporarily suspended after the quake, according to JR Central. Tohoku, Joetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansen services were automatically halted but resumed operations about 15 minutes later, JR East said. "It was like an upward-thrusting earthquake," said an official with the town office in Fujikawaguchiko.

A part-time female employee, 64, at a local convenience store evacuated outside, recalling the 2011 major earthquake that wreaked havoc in northeastern Japan. "Vertical shaking lasted for more than 10 seconds. Snacks fell (from the shelves) in the store," she said.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi instructed officials to gather information and provide necessary information to the public promptly. The quake struck as the region was preparing for next month's opening of this year's climbing season on the 3,776-meter mountain. Experts say the quake-hit area is near the convergence of multiple tectonic plates, including the Philippine Sea Plate.

"Magnitude 6-class earthquakes occur once every 10 years or so in the quake-hit area," said Takuya Nishimura, a professor at the Disaster Prevention Institute of Kyoto University. "It is unlikely to cause Mount Fuji to erupt considering the mechanism" of the quake that occurred near the boundary between tectonic plates. Japan is prone to natural disasters, with another powerful quake hitting northeastern Japan on Thursday.

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TICKET SALES CLOSE JULY 1. Click Here Sort by Oldest Latest Popular 5 Comments Login to comment Toshihiro Today 06:43 am JST Be safe out there, everyone. I hope Mt Fuji remains dormant despite what is happening around it.

1 ( +2 / -1 ) A garlic eater_ Today 09:11 am JST We haven’t seen the half of it yet. -4 ( +1 / -5 ) Taciturn Today 09:16 am JST Wife and I both said this morning that we feel like something bigger is coming. I hope we're wrong but I made some preparations just in case.

Water, torches, batteries, gas in the car, dried foods etc. 3 ( +3 / -0 ) Cephus Today 09:32 am JST "We haven’t seen the half of it yet." I hope you are wrong, but the current trend supports your views.

-1 ( +1 / -2 ) TheDalaiLamasBifocals Today 10:31 am JST It's a common spot for quakes. The strongest being a 6.0 in 1984.

This one was a a reverse-fault-type. No relation to activity on Mt. Fuji.

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