Japan Earthquake: Magnitude 5.7 Quake Strikes Central Japan, 22 Injured

A Japan earthquake of magnitude 5.7 struck central Japan in the early hours of Sunday, November 8, injuring at least 22 people and shaking a wide area from Aichi Prefecture to the ancient capitals of Kyoto and Nara. The Japan Meteorological Agency put the quake at magnitude 5.7, while the US Geological Survey measured it at magnitude 5.5. The tremor struck at 1:04 am local time, with its epicentre in the western part of Shizuoka Prefecture at a depth of about 40 kilometres, and no tsunami warning was issued.

Japan Earthquake: What Happened in Shizuoka and Aichi

The quake hit shortly after 1 am on Sunday, when most people in the region were asleep, which is one reason so many of the injuries happened as residents rushed to get out of buildings. The Japan Meteorological Agency said an intensity of upper 5 on the Japanese seismic scale of zero to seven was recorded in Chita City in Aichi Prefecture, which borders Shizuoka. It was the first time since March 1997 that shaking on that scale had been observed in Aichi. An intensity of lower 5 was recorded in parts of Aichi, Shizuoka, Gifu and Nagano prefectures. The US Geological Survey located the epicentre about 10 kilometres north-west of Hamakita in Shizuoka, at a depth of about 41 kilometres.

The shaking was felt across a wide area. Along with Aichi and Shizuoka, tremors were reported in the city of Hamamatsu, in the ancient capitals of Kyoto and Nara, and in Yamanashi Prefecture, where Mount Fuji is located, as well as Gifu. The tremors were not felt in Tokyo, which lies further away from the epicentre. Local media reported shattered store windows, debris scattered on streets and people fleeing buildings as the quake hit. Smaller aftershocks were reported after the main tremor.

Japan Earthquake: 22 Injured and Damage Reported

At least 22 people were injured in Aichi and Shizuoka prefectures, according to local media, with most of the injuries happening as people tried to evacuate buildings during the tremor. In Tokoname City in Aichi, a woman in her 50s was taken to hospital with a fractured ankle. In Toyota City, where an intensity of lower 5 was recorded, a man in his 40s and a woman in her 80s fell and hit their heads and were taken to hospital with head injuries. Both were conscious. No deaths had been reported by Sunday morning.

Damage to infrastructure was also reported. Officials in Higashiura Town in Aichi Prefecture said water supplies had been cut off in parts of the town and that there were reports of water gushing from manholes. The Japanese government set up a liaison office to coordinate the response, and authorities in the affected areas were still collecting information on damage on Sunday morning.

• Magnitude: 5.7 (Japan Meteorological Agency) / 5.5 (US Geological Survey)
• Time: 1:04 am local time, Sunday, November 8, 2026
• Epicentre: western Shizuoka Prefecture, about 10 km north-west of Hamakita
• Depth: about 40 kilometres below the surface
• Strongest shaking: upper 5 on the Japanese scale in Chita, Aichi Prefecture
• Injured: at least 22 people in Aichi and Shizuoka prefectures
• Tsunami: no warning issued, and no tsunami risk reported

Why Officials Are Warning of More Strong Shaking

The Japan Meteorological Agency held a news conference after the earthquake and warned residents in the affected areas to stay alert. Agency official Ebita Ayataka said people should pay close attention to future seismic activity and rain conditions, because there is a growing risk of falling rocks and landslides in areas hit by strong tremors. He also said people should be on the alert for quakes with an intensity of around upper 5 during the next week or so, with the next two to three days seen as the period of highest risk.

The agency also addressed the question many in Japan will be asking: whether the quake is connected to the long-feared Nankai Trough megaquake. Ebita explained that while the tremor occurred in the projected epicentre area of the Nankai Trough, it is believed to be different from the anticipated massive earthquake, and the agency will continue to monitor seismic activity carefully. Japan sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and experiences frequent earthquakes, but a tremor of this strength in Aichi is rare, which is why Sunday's quake drew attention across the country.

What to Do After an Earthquake

If you are in an area hit by a strong quake, the standard advice is to stay calm, check yourself and those around you for injuries, and watch out for aftershocks, which can follow for days. Avoid entering damaged buildings, stay away from cracked walls and broken glass, and follow instructions from local authorities. In Japan, the meteorological agency issues updated intensity and aftershock information, and local governments publish shelter and water-supply updates for affected towns. Anyone in the Shizuoka and Aichi region should keep checking official updates through Sunday and into next week.