Magnitude 4.9 Earthquake Hits Japan, Felt in Tokyo; No Tsunami Alert

A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck southern Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, early Tuesday, September 29, with shaking recorded across Tokyo and surrounding areas, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

The earthquake occurred at 4:45 a.m. local time at a depth of approximately 50 kilometers.

Strongest Shaking Recorded in Ibaraki and Saitama

The JMA recorded a maximum seismic intensity of 4 on Japan’s intensity scale in parts of Ibaraki and Saitama prefectures. Affected locations included Joso, Chikusei, Bando, Tsukubamirai and Kasukabe.

Several Tokyo districts, including Chiyoda, Chuo and Shibuya, registered intensity 3. Shaking was also recorded in Chiba, Tochigi, Gunma and Kanagawa prefectures.

Seismic intensity measures the strength of shaking at a particular location, while magnitude measures the earthquake’s overall size.

No Tsunami Warning in Effect

The JMA’s official tsunami information service showed no active tsunami warnings or advisories following the earthquake.