A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Yamanashi and nearby prefectures on Friday night, bringing shindo readings up to lower 6 in Fujikawaguchiko and disrupting major rail lines. Japan’s government activated crisis coordination at the Prime Minister’s Office, and
Friday night in Japan began with a jolt that people in Yamanashi could feel in their bones. The earthquake hit at 10:29 p.m., striking at a depth of 20 kilometers, with the strongest shaking recorded as lower 6 on Japan’s 7-point shindo scale in the town of Fujikawaguchiko in Yamanashi Prefecture.
In Otsuki, also in Yamanashi, the quake registered an upper 5. In parts of Shizuoka and Kanagawa prefectures, it was reported as a lower 5. The tremor came after days of heavy rain, leaving residents and local authorities watching for possible landslides.
There was no threat of a tsunami.
How hard it hit wasn’t just a number. The Meteorological Agency said that a lower 6 makes it difficult to stand, and unsecured furniture may fall over—an immediate danger for anyone who was already trying to settle down at the end of the day.
The government moved quickly. A crisis management center has been set up at the Prime Minister’s Office to assess impacts of the earthquake and coordinate any necessary response.
Transportation disruptions followed almost immediately. Central Japan Railway reported that its Tokaido Shinkansen service was suspended between Tokyo and Shizuoka. JR East said that as of 11 p.m., its Tokaido, Joetsu and Hokuriku shinkansen services were suspended for safety checks.
Some JR rail services were already under strain from delays and suspensions due to two approaching tropical storms. The quake added to that pressure, with additional delays reported because of the earthquake.
While the country watched rail lines go dark for safety checks, attention also turned to critical infrastructure. Chubu Electric Power said shortly after 11 p.m. that no abnormalities had been identified at its Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant in the city of Omaezaki. Shizuoka Prefecture. or at nearby radiation monitors. according to media reports.
The sequence of events—strong shaking in Yamanashi, winter-like caution about what can topple at lower 6, and the rapid decision to suspend high-speed rail—played out against the background of heavy rain and ongoing storm pressure.
Yamanashi earthquake magnitude 5.6 shindo scale Fujikawaguchiko crisis management center Tokaido Shinkansen JR East Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant tsunami warning heavy rain landslide concern