A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 struck western Japan on Tuesday morning, rattling parts of Shimane and neighbouring Tottori prefectures. The Japan Meteorological Agency reported that the tremor originated inland in western Shimane at a depth of about 10km, and there was no tsunami threat.
Strong shaking was felt in the prefectural capital of Matsue and several nearby municipalities, according to local media. The earthquake was followed by six aftershocks by late morning, including a magnitude 5.1 tremor that produced lower-level strong shaking.
The Maritime Self-Defence Force said it would carry out inspections to assess any damage in the affected regions. Emergency alerts were sent to mobile phones across a wide area of western Japan, with television networks and local authorities issuing early warnings. Footage on social media showed earthquake alarms sounding over public loudspeakers in Shimane.
The tremor was felt as far away as Osaka, and train services on the Sanyo Shinkansen Line were temporarily suspended. This is the most powerful earthquake to hit Japan so far this year, following a magnitude 7.5 quake in Aomori prefecture in December and the devastating magnitude 7.6 New Year's Day quake in 2024 on the Noto Peninsula, which killed 698 people.
Japan sits at the intersection of several tectonic plates, making it one of the most seismically active countries in the world. After last month's Aomori earthquake, authorities issued a megaquake advisory for the country's northeastern coast, instructing residents to stay away from the coast but not calling for evacuations.
