M5.5 quake jolts eastern Japan near Tokyo, no tsunami warning issued

TOKYO – An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.5 shook eastern Japan including Tokyo on Tuesday, causing some disruptions to the country’s transportation services, but no tsunami warning was issued.

The focus of the 7:46 p.m. quake was in Ibaraki Prefecture northeast of Tokyo at about 50 kilometers underground, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

No damages or injuries were reported, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.

The earthquake logged lower 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in neighboring Gunma and Saitama prefectures, and 4 in Ibaraki.

Bullet train services between Tokyo and Shin-Shirakawa stations on the Tohoku Shinkansen Line were paused before resuming around 25 minutes later. The Joetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansen Lines were also temporarily halted.

No anomalies were reported at the Tokai No. 2 nuclear power station in Ibaraki Prefecture, according to its operator Japan Atomic Power Co.