Strong earthquake hits central Japan early Sunday November 8 2026

What happened

The quake struck at 1:04 a.m. local time on Sunday 8 November 2026. Its epicenter was about 40 km beneath the surface in Shizuoka Prefecture, far enough from Tokyo that the tremor was not felt there. Interfax (Russian)The Hindu InternationalInfobae (Spanish)Dhaka Post

Japan Meteorological Agency reported the magnitude as 5.7 while the U.S. Geological Survey gave it as 5.5, showing a disagreement between the two agencies. Interfax (Russian)The Hindu InternationalInfobae (Spanish)Dhaka Post

The most violent shaking was recorded in Aichi Prefecture and the quake was assessed at seismic intensity level 5 on the Japanese scale. The Hindu InternationalInfobae (Spanish)El Mundo (Spanish)

A wide area around Aichi was affected, including Hamamatsu city, the historic capitals Kyoto and Nara, and the neighboring prefectures of Yamanashi, Gifu and Nagano. Interfax (Russian)The Hindu InternationalInfobae (Spanish)El Mundo (Spanish)Dhaka Post

Television footage showed shattered store windows and broken glass scattered on the streets, while a bookstore was left with piles of books that had fallen from the shelves. The Hindu InternationalInfobae (Spanish)Dhaka Post

Injuries were reported ranging from three to at least twenty‑two people, with some victims falling down stairs while trying to flee the buildings. Interfax (Russian)The Hindu InternationalInfobae (Spanish)El Mundo (Spanish)Dhaka Post

Shinkansen bullet trains ran at reduced speeds in the affected areas as a precaution, and the Chubu Electric Power Company said no anomalies were detected at the Hamaoka nuclear power plant. The Hindu InternationalInfobae (Spanish)El Mundo (Spanish)Dhaka Post

Smaller aftershocks were reported following the main shock. The Hindu InternationalInfobae (Spanish)Dhaka Post

The details

The focal depth of the earthquake was approximately forty kilometres below the Earth’s surface, a depth that limited surface damage but allowed strong shaking to be felt in nearby regions. The Hindu InternationalEl Mundo (Spanish)

Authorities asked residents of the affected zones to keep precautions in place because further strong movements could occur in the coming days. Infobae (Spanish)

Who is reporting what

Interfax highlighted the distance of the epicenter from Tokyo and noted that the quake was not felt there, while The Hindu International focused on the magnitude differences reported by the Japanese agency and the U.S. survey. El Mundo added the intensity rating of five and the statement from Chubu Electric Power about the Hamaoka plant. Dhaka Post reproduced the local media description of the damage and the range of injury figures. Interfax (Russian)The Hindu InternationalEl Mundo (Spanish)Dhaka Post

Context and impact

Japan sits on major tectonic boundaries, making it one of the most earthquake‑prone countries in the world. Even moderate‑size quakes can disrupt transport, damage commercial property and cause injuries, underscoring the importance of rapid assessment and precautionary measures such as slowing high‑speed trains.

What we do not know yet

Exact casualty numbers remain uncertain, with reports varying between three and twenty‑two injured. The final agreed magnitude may also be clarified as agencies reconcile their measurements.