Overview
- Striking at 10:18 a.m. local time on Jan. 6, the shallow quake hit eastern Shimane at roughly 10 km depth, with agencies reporting magnitudes from about 5.7 to 6.4.
- Maximum shaking reached upper 5 on Japan’s 1–7 intensity scale in parts of Shimane and neighboring Tottori, with localized damage including a collapsed stone wall and toppled gravestones.
- Multiple M5-class aftershocks followed within minutes, including around M5.1 and M5.4, and officials caution that similarly strong tremors could occur over the next few days.
- Local authorities reported minor injuries from falls and cooking burns, and brief power outages and Shinkansen suspensions caused delays across the region.
- The Japan Meteorological Agency issued no tsunami warning, and regulators reported no abnormalities at the Shimane nuclear power plant.