Where and when did the earthquake strike? A magnitude 5.7 earthquake shook central Japan at 1:04am local time on Sunday, 8 November 2026, which was 7:04pm on Saturday in Makkah. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) placed the source about 40 km beneath western Shizuoka Prefecture. The US Geological Survey measured it at magnitude 5.5, about 10 km northwest of Hamakita.
Where was the shaking strongest? The city of Chita in Aichi Prefecture recorded upper 5 on Japan's seven-level intensity scale, the highest reading of the quake. Lower 5 was observed in places including Seto, Toyota and Handa in Aichi, Ena in Gifu and Hamamatsu's Hamana ward. Lighter shaking reached Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo.
Was there a tsunami warning? No. The JMA said the earthquake posed no tsunami risk.
How much damage was done, and was anyone hurt? Kyodo News reported more than 20 people injured in Aichi and Shizuoka, with no deaths reported. Jiji Press reported broken windows at a car dealership in Toyohashi and goods thrown from the shelves of a bookshop in Toyota. Tokaido Shinkansen trains ran slower between Shizuoka and Gifu-Hashima for safety checks, and some local lines were halted for a time. Chubu Electric Power found no abnormalities at its Hamaoka nuclear plant.
What happens next? The JMA urged people to stay alert for shaking of up to lower 5 over roughly the next week, particularly in the first two or three days. It said a link to a possible major Nankai Trough earthquake was unlikely, and the government set up a liaison office to monitor the situation. Aichi Prefecture opened a disaster headquarters at 1:04am, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency, US Geological Survey, Fire and Disaster Management Agency, Kyodo News, Jiji Press, Xinhua
