A 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck Japan in the early morning hours of May 11th, 2023, causing several injuries and minor damage. According to the Japanese Meteorological Agency, the quake hit Japan at 4:16 am, registering an upper 5 on the Japanese earthquake intensity scale of 7 in Kisarazu and lower 5 in Kimitsu, both in Chiba Prefecture, and 4 in areas including Tokyo’s Chiyoda and Shinagawa wards. While there were no tsunami warnings issued by the authorities, residents in affected areas were left shaken and terrified by the event.
This earthquake was the first time Chiba Prefecture had experienced an upper 5 earthquake since 2012, and the agency has warned that a similar scale earthquake could occur for about a week. The quake measured 4 in Mihama Ward in the city of Chiba and some wards in Yokohama and Kawasaki. Two women were minorly injured in Chiba Prefecture, while two others were hurt in Kanagawa Prefecture, including a man who suffered injuries from a falling ceiling light while sleeping. Fortunately, no casualties were reported from Tokyo.
The earthquake also caused disruptions to transportation services, with railway services that run through Chiba Prefecture, including Uchibo and Sotobo lines, being canceled or delayed. Dozens of elevators, mostly in high-rise condominium buildings in Tokyo, as well as Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures, stopped automatically due to the earthquake. However, no one was reported to be trapped inside.
Roof tiles were dislodged in Kisarazu, and scattered on the ground, while residents reported feeling strong horizontal jolts that made it difficult to stand. Rei Ishii, 16, who was at Kisarazu Station when the earthquake occurred, said: “I woke up with the sound of an alert on my cell phone. I didn’t think it would be this big; I was so scared.” Sachiko Uchida, a fishing boat operator in Kisarazu, said the roof tiles of her house fell and were scattered on the ground.
The earthquake also triggered power outages in some areas, affecting over 1,500 households in Chiba Prefecture. The Tokyo Electric Power Company reported that more than 5,000 households experienced blackouts in Tokyo’s Chiyoda and Shinjuku wards, as well as in Kawasaki and Yokohama. However, power was quickly restored to most of the affected areas.
The earthquake caused disruptions to the Tokyo Stock Exchange, with trading briefly halted due to the quake. However, trading resumed soon after with no major impact on the market.
The Japanese government has urged residents in affected areas to be cautious and prepared for possible aftershocks. The earthquake also serves as a reminder for people to take necessary precautions and prepare emergency kits in case of natural disasters.
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Japan sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a highly active area where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity. In recent years, the country has experienced several major earthquakes, including the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, which caused a devastating tsunami that killed thousands of people and triggered a nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant.
