Early Monday, a strong earthquake hit the Noto Peninsula area in Ishikawa Prefecture, registering an upper 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, according to the Meteorological Agency. The quake, which occurred at approximately 6:30 a.m., had an estimated magnitude of 5.9 and a depth of 10 kilometers. This region, particularly the cities of Wajima and Suzu, felt the impact severely.No tsunami warning was issued following the quake. Tokyo Electric Power reported no irregularities at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant in Niigata Prefecture, which experienced a seismic intensity of 4.East Japan Railway Co. temporarily halted the Joetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train services due to power outages triggered by the quake. The earthquake’s tremors were felt widely, including in the Kanto region and as far as Niigata, Fukushima, and Toyama prefectures. The tremors also activated special early warning alerts on smartphones in these areas.This earthquake comes just over five months after a significant tremor on New Year’s Day caused extensive damage to the same region. The New Year’s Day earthquake has had long-lasting effects, including the exodus of young people from the area and the closure of over 100 businesses in four municipalities within Ishikawa Prefecture, as revealed by a recent survey. The ongoing recovery efforts have been challenging for the region as it continues to cope with the aftermath of these seismic events.
Earthquake Strikes Noto Peninsula, Halts Shinkansen Services.
