A Strong Quake Rattles Saitama and Nearby Areas
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck in southern Ibaraki prefecture just after 9am on Thursday, jolting large parts of the Kanto region including Saitama prefecture. The quake triggered early warning alarms in Tokyo and nearby areas.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the epicenter was located approximately 50km underground in southern Ibaraki. Initial readings put the shindo intensity at 4, while Tokyo and surrounding prefectures experienced lower intensity levels of 3 or less.
Impact in Saitama
Areas in Saitama felt the strongest shaking from the quake. In cities like Kawagoe City, residents reported light fixtures swaying and small objects being knocked over. However, no major infrastructure damage has been reported so far in Saitama or other affected regions.
Officials are still assessing the full impact but early indications show the quake did not cause any significant disruptions. The Tokyo Electric Power Company said no power outages occurred on its grid supplying the Kanto area including Sait. Shinkansen bullet train operations were temporarily halted but later resumed with no delays reported.
