Strong magnitude-6.2 earthquake strikes Japan's Chugoku region

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 hit the western Chugoku region of Japan on Tuesday, followed by a series of sizeable aftershocks, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The epicentre of the first earthquake was in eastern Shimane prefecture, the agency said, adding that there was no danger of a tsunami. Chugoku Electric Power, which runs the Shimane Nuclear Power Station about 32 km (20 miles) away, said operations were continuing as usual at its No.2 unit. Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority said there were no irregularities following the quake. The plant's No.2 unit restarted in December 2024 for the first time since all of Japan's nuclear power plants were shut down in the aftermath of the March 2011 disasters in Fukushima. The earthquake had a seismic intensity of upper-5 on Japan's 1-7 scale, strong enough to make movement difficult without support. Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world's most seismically active areas. Japan accounts for about one-fifth of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater. West Japan Railway said it had suspended Shinkansen bullet-train operations between Shin-Osaka and Hakata following the quake.