On March 21, Thursday, around 9:08 AM, an earthquake of lower intensity 5 was observed in Tochigi and Saitama Prefectures. The epicenter of the earthquake was in the southern part of Ibaraki Prefecture, and the depth of the epicenter is estimated to be about 50km. In this earthquake, Ibaraki Prefecture recorded a maximum intensity of 4.

There was no concern about tsunamis due to this earthquake, but seismic intensity of lower 5 was observed in Shimotsuke City, Tochigi Prefecture, and Koso City, Saitama Prefecture, and there were some scenes where strong shaking was felt. According to the Meteorological Agency, the scale of the earthquake is estimated to be a magnitude 5.3.

The observed seismic intensity in each region is 3 in Fukushima Prefecture, 4 in Ibaraki Prefecture, and lower 5 in Tochigi and Saitama Prefectures. It was reported that no tremor of intensity 1 or more was observed in Miyazaki Prefecture.

After the occurrence of the earthquake, the related agencies quickly gathered information and responded, prioritizing the safety of residents. No specific information about the damage has arrived yet, but it is required to continue to spend with careful attention to detailed situations in the future based on accurate information from the press and others. Caution against aftershocks is also necessary.