Japan’s Meteorological Agency has reported a magnitude 5.7 earthquake in Shizuoka Prefecture, according to early Sunday reports, a day after a magnitude 6.1 quake struck off the Tokyo coast. No tsunami warning was issued for either quake. At least 22 people were injured in the Shizuoka tremor, according to reports, with some reports putting the toll at 24, and the US Geological Survey put the magnitude at 5.5, compared with the Japan Meteorological Agency’s 5.7.
The Shizuoka quake struck on Sunday, 8 November, in a prefecture that sits on Japan’s Pacific coast, south-west of Tokyo, in one of the country’s most seismically active regions. Shizuoka is close to the Nankai Trough, a subduction zone that scientists warn could produce a major earthquake in the coming decades, and the prefecture has long prepared for a large tremor. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the link between the Shizuoka quake and a Nankai Trough earthquake was “low”.
The quake came a day after a magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the Tokyo coast on Saturday, also without a tsunami warning. The two quakes in two days are a reminder of Japan’s vulnerability to seismic activity, although neither caused the kind of damage seen in larger quakes.
A second quake in Namibia
Separately, a magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck north-western Namibia on Sunday, according to early reports. The quake was centred in a remote region of the southern African country, and there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
Namibia is not known as a highly seismic country, and a magnitude 5.1 quake is significant for the region. The quake’s epicentre in the north-west of the country is far from the major population centres, which may explain the lack of immediate reports of damage.
The two quakes, in Japan and Namibia, are unrelated, but they occurred on the same day and serve as a reminder of the seismic risks faced by countries around the world. Japan, in particular, has invested heavily in earthquake preparedness, with strict building codes, early warning systems and regular drills.
Japan’s preparedness
Japan’s Meteorological Agency monitors seismic activity across the country and issues warnings when a quake is detected. The agency’s report of the Shizuoka quake was followed by assessments of the damage, and local authorities were on alert for aftershocks.
The Shizuoka quake, at magnitude 5.7, is strong enough to cause damage to buildings and infrastructure, and shaking reached upper 5 on the Japanese intensity scale in Chita, with Shinkansen services delayed.
The quake is the latest in a series of tremors to hit Japan in recent weeks, and it comes as the country continues to prepare for the possibility of a major Nankai Trough earthquake, which scientists say could cause widespread damage and casualties.
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