Magnitude 5.7 earthquake strikes central Japan, injures more than 20

The quake struck at 1:04am local time (16:00 GMT Saturday) at a depth of about 40km (25 miles) in western Shizuoka Prefecture, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. No tsunami warning was issued, Kyodo reported.

More than 20 people were injured in the Aichi and Shizuoka prefectures, Kyodo news agency cited authorities as saying. A wide area near Aichi Prefecture was affected, including the city of Hamamatsu, the ancient capitals of Kyoto and Nara, and the prefectures of Yamanashi, where Mount Fuji is located, and Gifu. Japanese television showed shattered shop windows and shards of glass scattered across streets. A bookstore was left with mounds of books that had fallen from the shelves. Some of the injured fell on the stairs while trying to flee, the Associated Press reported.

The meteorological agency warned residents to be prepared for possible strong quakes in the coming week, especially the next two to three days. “Please be on the lookout for mudslides, falling rocks and the possible effects from rainfall,” agency official Ayataka Ebita told reporters. He said no apparent change had been detected so far in the Nankai Trough, an underwater ocean trench where two major tectonic plates meet under parts of Japan, where scientists say a megaquake could occur.

Some local train services were suspended, and Shinkansen bullet trains were running at slower speeds in affected areas as a precaution. Trains on the Tokaido Shinkansen line, which connects Tokyo and Osaka, were delayed between Shizuoka and Gifu-Hashima stations after safety checks, rail operator JR Central said. The quake was not felt in Tokyo, which is far from the epicentre.