Earthquake rocks Tokyo, Japan

News.AU, September 16, 2014

Japan Meteorological Agency said the epicentre was believed to be in the south ofIbaraki prefecture, an area to the east of Tokyo, and was located around 50 kilometres (30 miles) below the surface.  

The US Geological Survey said the quake had a magnitude of 5.6. Their Japanese counterparts said there was no danger of a tsunami from the tremor, the effects of which could be felt in buildings for more than a minute after the initial shaking began.

The city is currently hosting the Pan Pacific Open Tennis Tournament, and stars of the game took to social media as the ground shook.

Earthquake experience this morning! 5,6 Rychter scale was quite scary! #tokyo #earthquake #scary http://t.co/uZQwNgcR2h

— lucie safarova (@luciesafarova) September 16, 2014

Australian radio broadcaster Jason Morrison experienced the earthquake from a Tokyo high-rise and tweeted as it unfolded.

Staying in high-rise hotel in Tokyo just hit by a quake and they are now broadcasting messages over PA telling people to stay calm.

— Jason Morrison (@JasonMorrisonAU) September 16, 2014

Tokyo quake: Lifts shutdown in high-rise buildings around where I'm staying as a precaution. Hotel staff say jolt was "biggest this year"

— Jason Morrison (@JasonMorrisonAU) September 16, 2014

The operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant, which was battered by a tsunami after a powerful undersea quake in 2011, said nothing unusual had been noted at the still-fragile site.

“There was no abnormality in our monitoring at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant following the earthquake. Also, we have not received any reports of damage from the latest quake,” spokesman Keisuke Murakami said.

The Japan Atomic Power Co said the Tokai No. 2 Power Station, which was nearest to the epicentre of the quake, showed no signs of any problems.

An official at the Ibaraki prefectural government said checks were ongoing, but that so far there appeared to be nothing amiss in the wider area.

“We have not received any reports of damage, injuries or casualties following the earthquake. We are still checking if the quake could result in damage,” he said.

Japan is hit by around a fifth of the world’s powerful quakes every year and sits at the conjunction of several tectonic plates. Building codes are rigorous and regular disaster drills are held, helping to ensure that despite their frequency and their violence, quakes usually pass without loss of life or significant damage to property in Japan.

However, the 9.0 magnitude undersea quake of March 2011 sparked a huge tsunami that smashed into the country’s northeast coast, killing around 18,000 people and creating the world’s worst nuclear emergency in a generation.

http://www.news.com.au/world/earthquake-rocks-tokyo-japan/story-fndir2ev-1227060290817