Japan jolted by 5.8 quake as Tokyo and wide regions feel tremors
A 5.8 magnitude earthquake strikes northern Chiba, shaking Tokyo and multiple prefectures, just a day after a stronger offshore quake near Iwate
On 26 June 2026, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported that a magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck at 10:46 a.m., with a focal depth of 50 kilometres. The quake registered a maximum intensity of 4 on Japan’s seismic scale and was centred in northern Chiba Prefecture on the eastern side.
Shaking was widely felt across multiple regions, including Ibaraki, Chiba, Tochigi, Saitama, Tokyo, Miyagi, Fukushima, Gunma, Kanagawa, Niigata, Yamanashi, Nagano, Shizuoka, Iwate and Yamagata. Initial reports confirmed no damage or tsunami warning had been issued.
The latest quake comes just a day after a stronger earthquake struck Japan on 25 June 2026, when a magnitude 6.9 tremor occurred offshore near Iwate Prefecture, around 450–500 kilometres from Tokyo, at a depth of approximately 50 kilometres. That event reached a maximum intensity of upper 6 on Japan’s seismic scale.
Authorities warned the public to remain vigilant for possible aftershocks following the earlier quake.
According to Thailand’s Department of Mineral Resources, the 25 June quake was caused by the subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the North American Plate, a tectonic setting that frequently triggers strong seismic activity in Japan.
Meanwhile, beyond Japan, Venezuela also experienced a major earthquake on 25 June 2026, with magnitudes of 7.5 and 7.2 at shallow depths of 10 kilometres and 21.9 kilometres respectively.
The epicentre was located in Yaracuy state in northwestern Venezuela at latitude 40.291°N and longitude 142.098°E. The quake generated around 20 aftershocks ranging between magnitude 2.6 and 4.5.
The Department of Mineral Resources attributed the Venezuelan quake to movement along the Bocono Fault, a right-lateral strike-slip fault. Historically, the same fault produced a major 7.7 magnitude earthquake in 1812 that devastated Caracas and killed an estimated 30,000 people nationwide.
The tremors were reportedly felt as far as Colombia and Brazil, with widespread damage across Yaracuy, Carabobo, Lara, Aragua and Caracas. Thousands of buildings and critical infrastructure were damaged.
Initial reports indicated 164 deaths and 971 injuries, while the United States Geological Survey (USGS) warned the death toll could potentially rise to as high as 10,000 as rescue operations continue.
