Early this morning on May 23rd, a 5.6 magnitude earthquake hit the southern waters of Hokkaido, Japan. The maximum seismic intensity was recorded as 4, but fortunately, no tsunami was triggered by the quake.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the earthquake occurred at 6:28 a.m. local time (5:28 a.m. Taiwan time) off the coast of Urakawa in Hokkaido, with a depth of 50 kilometers. The tremors were felt in several areas across Hokkaido.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported the earthquake as magnitude 5.4 with a depth of 59 kilometers, the epicenter being located 34 kilometers southwest of Urakawa town.
Observational data indicated that Urakawa town and neighboring towns in Hokkaido experienced strong shaking at an intensity level of 4. Additionally, cities like Sapporo and Hakodate, as well as Aomori and Miyagi Prefectures in the Tohoku region, felt varying degrees of tremors.
As of the latest update, no tsunami warning has been issued by Japanese authorities, and there have been no reports of casualties or structural damages. The basic livelihood infrastructure and transportation systems remain unaffected.
An official from Urakawa town hall shared with local media that during the quake, there was a brief loud rumble followed by intense shaking in their home for about 30 seconds.
A security guard at Urakawa town hall mentioned that while patroling indoors, he suddenly felt the tremors, causing documents on shelves to scatter due to the shaking.