Magnitude 5.9 earthquake shakes eastern Japan, no tsunami threat

A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 rattled eastern Japan, including the Tokyo area, early on Sunday, but there was no danger of a tsunami, the country's meteorological agency said. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the quake occurred in the southern Ibaraki prefecture, at a depth of 70 kilometers (42 miles).

The United States Geological Survey recorded a preliminary magnitude of 5.8.

There were no reports of damage or injuries. The quake also shook the Tokyo area, but NHK public television showed traffic on roads in nearby cities, including Mito and Saitama, seemingly normal.

Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone areas.

Last month, a magnitude 7.1 quake struck the Kumamoto area on Japan's southernmost island of Kyushu, killing 38 people and injuring 364. It also destroyed more than 1,500 buildings and damaged nearly 20,000 others.